Chinese-made military drones have hidden tech to stop them being used to attack China, source claims
- Exported UAVs are said to include a feature that recognises an ‘electric geofence’ encircling Chinese territory and turns them away
- Earlier reports have suggested drone developers are including restrictions in their products for sale overseas
“This is the so-called watchdog tool, which is a simple technology aimed at making sure Chinese exported drones are not used by enemies as weapons to attack our country,” said the source, who asked for anonymity because of the issue’s sensitivity.
The function – included in the implantable components and parts of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – was declared by Chinese developers in their instruction books, the source said.
The comments appear to confirm claims last year by the head of a leading Turkish drone developer, who told Indian-Canadian website EurAsian Times that Chinese-made UAVs “turned around as they approached the Chinese border”.
Baykar Technology CEO Haluk Bayraktar said “hidden restrictions” and “subpar performance” of drones from China had caused some clients to turn to Turkish UAVs, like his company’s TB2 military devices.
