The world’s largest drone maker, DJI, recently found itself caught in the middle of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. In March, a Ukrainian minister called out the company for allegedly complicating the war.
DJI is not alone, however, as many tech companies have used their products on the battlefield. Russia is accused of using DJI’s Mavic 3 drone and its Aeroscope drone-detection platform.
DJI—also known as Da Jiang Innovations—has adamantly denied the allegations and insists its products are designed for civilian applications and do not meet military specifications. They also claim to have no involvement in any military activity or conflict.
Despite increased scrutiny from the US government, DJI is firm in its stance. In June, the US government released a list of Chinese companies considered a risk to US national security, and DJI was one of them. As a result, US government agencies are prohibited from purchasing DJI products. However, DJI is unfazed by the blacklisting and continues expanding its US presence.
DJI is also working on ways to make its drones more secure. The company recently announced that it would begin using end-to-end encryption for its drones and enhanced authentication processes. The encryption will ensure that data sent to and from drones is secure, while the authentication processes are designed to ensure that only authorized users can access the drones.
DJI is continuing to innovate and improve its products, despite being blacklisted by the US government. The company is resilient and determined to remain the top drone maker in the world. It will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds in the coming months.