Hundreds of Chinese-made drones seized by the state of Florida are being turned over to the U.S. military for use as target practice in drills set for next month, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday.
In 2023, Florida banned state agencies from using Chinese-made drones, especially those made by DJI, the world's largest drone manufacturer, which has alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party. DJI sells more than half of all commercial drones used in the U.S.
Bloomberg reported that more than 500 of the small quadcopter drones will be handed over to U.S. Special Operations Command, whose headquarters is at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.
They will then be used by service members armed with shotguns and other weapons for target practice in a three-day competition beginning Dec. 4. The Pentagon has dubbed the event the "Military Drone Crucible," The National Pulse reported.
"It will be the largest counter-drone destruction event ever held in the United States," Nate Ecelbarger, a Marine reservist who co-founded the nonprofit U.S. National Drone Association late last year, told Bloomberg. The organization is hosting the event.
Although each of the military services is developing its own drone solutions, the Florida competitions are among the first efforts to train, compete, and share tactics, a USNDA organizer told Bloomberg.
More of the seized Chinese-made drones will be used at another USNDA training event next year that will include shotguns among the defensive measures tested.
Small, inexpensive drones have seen significant battlefield use in the war between Russia and Ukraine, leaving many of the world's most powerful militaries scrambling to adapt.
Counter-drone tactics are also becoming crucial to U.S. border security.
In March, Customs and Border Protection Chief Mike Banks issued a stark warning to Mexican drug cartels over their use of drones in smuggling operations.
"We have seen cartel-on-cartel violence that involves drones. We prepare and train to be ready to fight the enemy on any ground," he said. "We're impacting the cartels' ability to make billions of dollars."
The Commerce Department in July reportedly opened national security investigations into the import of drones and related components.
In December 2024, former President Joe Biden signed legislation that could, under certain conditions, block DJI and Autel, another China-based company, from selling new drone models in the U.S.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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