Letter to Fairfax County, Requesting they Cease Using CCP-Aligned DJI Drones
WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party wrote to the Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County, VA about the county’s use of Chinese-made DJI drones. DJI is on multiple federal government lists for its potential to spy on U.S. soil, its deep ties to the Chinese military, and its work to equip the CCP’s genocide against the Uyghur people.
Fairfax County, Virginia sits across the Potomac River from Washington DC and is home to many U.S. government leaders and sensitive national security sites like the Central Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
In the letter to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi write, “We understand Fairfax County currently operates a mixed fleet, and public safety programs, emergency services, and the fire department all utilize [unmanned aerial system] platforms to carry out their respective missions. The PRC-made UAS platforms and censors currently used by Fairfax County collect high-resolution imagery of facilities and individuals at risk, putting them at risk of being collected by the CCP.”
They continue, “For these reasons, we urge Fairfax County to ensure PRC drones are excluded from procurement and partner programs in the future and assist other Counties and the Commonwealth of Virginia in adopting a drone procurement policy that adheres to the Virginia Public Procurement Act and the federal government’s framework of addressing PRC drones and its national security risks. A multi-faceted approach to government security is needed, and we would like to offer assistance as we develop standards for localities nationwide.”
The lawmakers offered the county assistance to rid DJI drones from its fleet and help choose more secure drone options.
View the lawmakers’ letter to Fairfax County HERE