Senators want US construction firms to detail use of DJI drones in government contracts

Two U.S senators asked several U.S. construction companies to detail the use of Chinese-made DJI drones in government contracts and at sensitive national security facilities, saying the issue raised national security concerns.

Democratic senators Maggie Hassan and Gary Peters in letters to Hensel Phelps, Brasfield & Gorrie, and the Bechtel Corporation for answers on the companies’ relationships with DJI, citing reports about DJI drone use.

“The U.S. government considers the use of Chinese-made drones generally — and DJI drones specifically — a threat to national security and prohibits their use by federal agencies or contractors,” the letters said. “The use of these types of drones at sensitive and secure facilities creates the potential to provide a pathway for the transfer of important national security-related information to the Chinese government.”

The companies and DJI did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

The letters noted construction companies routinely use drones at work sites for a number of reasons.