USA Unable to Make Drones Without Components From China

American drone manufacturers are facing a serious dependency on Chinese components in their products.

Forbes reported on this.

As part of preparing the United States Armed Forces for potential confrontation in the Pacific region, the Pentagon is encountering new challenges related to the mass production of drones.

Primarily, this concerns components, a significant portion of which are manufactured in China and supplied to the U.S. both directly and through intermediary supply chains.

China currently controls close to 90 percent of the global commercial drone market, according to market research firm Drone Industry Insights UG.

Additionally, it is in China where key drone components are produced, such as airframes, batteries, radios, cameras, and screens. Due to mass production and availability, these components are highly competitive, making it difficult to create an effective alternative at the moment.

Equally important is the cost of Chinese components, which is significantly lower than that of similar products from the U.S. or European countries.

It is driving the growth of global demand, including among the armed forces of countries that actively use products by DJI.

“We are almost completely reliant on our major adversary for them, and our ability to make them,” said Josh Steinman, who previously oversaw supply chain security at the National Security Council.

Meanwhile, China has imposed sanctions on the supply of certain components that could be used in military equipment. This has significantly complicated the situation for American manufacturers. Although some companies are trying to restore the production of critical components within the United States.

The Pentagon acknowledges that such dependence poses a threat to U.S. national security. However, manufacturers themselves complain about excessive bureaucracy from the government and the U.S. Department of Defense, which prevents them from organizing production independently.

The U.S. recognizes that, at present, it is impossible to counter China’s dominance in drone component manufacturing, which is why they allow the use of Chinese parts, such as airframes, engines, and batteries—even in military UAVs.

Militarnyi previously reported that the United States had selected four companies to participate in the Artemis long-range kamikaze drone program, including two collaborating with Ukrainian manufacturers.