Pentagon is getting rid of Chinese-made drones over spying fears

The U.S. Department of Defense is getting rid of Chinese-manufactured drones over cybersecurity concerns. The U.S. Pacific Command announced on Thursday that the Defense Department and the entire federal government will have access to secure, trusted, and American-made commercial drones on the General Service Administration schedule. This new DIU initiative, dubbed Blue small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), is the culmination of 18 months of work by the Army and DIU to tailor the best technology from U.S. and allied companies to develop small unmanned aircraft systems that can be safely adopted by men and women in uniform, Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael Kratsios announced at a virtual event hosted by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). During the Aug. 18 DIU event, Kratsios said it also has important impacts for the nation's broader economic and national security. "UAS technologies have incredible promise and potential to not only provide great economic benefit for the American people, but also to enhance safety and security for our nation. We need a strong, secure domestic UAS manufacturing base to ensure American leadership in this critical field," he said.