The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has decided to restrict the usage of its 973 Chinese-made drones to non-sensitive operations due to concerns about high security risks associated with their country of origin. These Chinese drones account for approximately 80% of the RCMP’s fleet of 1,230 remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), which are utilized for monitoring the Canada-U.S. border and various police activities.
In response to inquiries from the national security committee of the Senate, the RCMP stated that replacing the Chinese drones would incur a cost exceeding $30 million, equivalent to about $35,000 per device. The increased expense is attributed to the fact that non-Chinese drones are nearly twice as costly, according to the RCMP.
Security experts have highlighted potential risks concerning the communication and data transmission systems of the Chinese drones. Ygal Bendavid, a professor specializing in operations management at the Université du Québec à Montréal, emphasized that any connected device raises security vulnerability questions.
The RCMP has taken steps to address these concerns by restricting the in-flight data transmission of the Chinese drones and assigning them to non-sensitive operations such as those involving missing persons, car thefts, and community policing. Furthermore, the RCMP avoids using Chinese drones for activities involving emergency response teams, VIP protection, border operations, and joint investigations with U.S. authorities.
To handle more sensitive operations, the RCMP relies on drones from France, the United States, and Belgium. The RCMP clarified that the Chinese drones were procured before the restrictions were imposed in 2023, citing their cost-effectiveness and ability to access challenging locations efficiently compared to traditional aircraft.
Experts emphasize the importance of caution regarding Chinese drones due to uncertainties surrounding the origins of various components. Wesley Wark of the Centre for International Governance Innovation suggested centralized purchasing and security testing for all security-related drone acquisitions by federal agencies in the future, with a preference for Canadian manufacturers and supply chains.
