Germany's military stops flying Chinese drones

Overview

Updated Yesterday

Germany's armed forces will stop flying Chinese-made drones. The defence ministry said the Bundeswehr will replace them with German or other European models, ending a two-year arrangement that had put DJI aircraft in soldiers' hands for target practice and basic flight training.

It is the second reversal in three years. A November 2023 order banned drones from countries with what it called special security risks, then only China. Within months the military reopened the door, and in November 2024 it signed a contract for 500 DJI Matrice M30T aircraft. This time the ministry says the change covers the whole force.

Why it matters

Europe's largest military just decided cheap Chinese hardware is not worth the data risk — a test case for every allied buyer of DJI equipment.

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Key Indicators

500

DJI Matrice M30T drones under the 2024 contract

Framework contract signed in November 2024 with Droneparts GmbH, according to documents obtained by CORRECTIV.

DJI models placed on the 2024 approved list

A Bundeswehr drone task force recommended them for a white list that had otherwise held only US-made drones.

1,000

Overwrites a penetration test said were needed to clear onboard memory

An insider cited by Der Spiegel described the finding; the ministry disputed the account.

Years between the first Chinese drone ban and this one

Order 159 was signed in November 2023; the force-wide ban was confirmed in November 2026.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Martin Schelleis

Lieutenant General; then head of the Bundeswehr Joint Support Service

Signed the 2023 ban that was later reversed

Wolfgang Jordan

Then head of the Bundeswehr drone task force

Organizations Involved

Bundeswehr

Armed forces

Ordered to stop using Chinese-made drones and replace them with German or European models

Germany's military, which had allowed local commanders to buy commercial Chinese drones for training and target practice.

German Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg)

Government ministry

Announced the ban; says there is no blanket country-wide prohibition

The ministry that sets procurement rules for the Bundeswehr and confirmed the change to reporters.

DJI (Da-Jiang Innovations)

Private Technology Company

Denies its drones pose a security risk

The Shenzhen-based world's largest drone maker, whose models made up most of the Bundeswehr's commercial fleet.

CORRECTIV

Investigative newsroom

Published the internal documents behind the reversal

The German investigative outlet that documented the 2023 ban, its reversal, and the internal warnings that followed.

Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD)

Intelligence agency

Reportedly found forensic traces of data diversion

Germany's military counterintelligence service, cited by an insider as having found traces of data leaving Bundeswehr-flown drones.

Timeline

November 2023 November 2026

7 events Latest: Yesterday

Tap a bar to jump to that date

November 2026
Ministry confirms the phase-out
Latest Statement

The defence ministry says Chinese models will be replaced by German or European products; Beijing calls the move discriminatory.
Yesterday
Spiegel reports force-wide ban
Media

Der Spiegel reports that orders went out across the force to stop flying Chinese drones.
2 days ago
August 2026
The reversal becomes public
Investigation

CORRECTIV reveals that the 2023 ban was lifted about six months after it was issued.
August 2026
April 2025
Crash and warranty dispute
Incident

After a Bundeswehr DJI drone crashes, DJI rejects the warranty claim as pilot error, citing data stored on the aircraft.
April 2025
November 2024
Contract for 500 DJI drones
Procurement

The Bundeswehr signs a framework contract with Droneparts GmbH for 500 DJI Matrice M30T aircraft.
November 2024
June 2024
Task force reopens the door
Policy

Wolfgang Jordan recommends eight DJI models for a white list that had held only US-made drones.
June 2024
November 2023
First ban issued
Policy

Lieutenant General Martin Schelleis signs Order 159, barring drones from states with special security risks, currently only China.
November 2023

Scenarios

European drone makers fill the training gap

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: The defence ministry, which tied the ban to technological sovereignty, and German defence-industry coverage

The ministry says existing systems will be replaced by national and, where needed, European products. If a framework contract or deliveries follow, the Bundeswehr's training fleet shifts to non-Chinese suppliers. The open question is price: a Bundeswehr insider told CORRECTIV that no German or European drone matched DJI on quality and cost when the white list was drawn up.

Local commanders keep buying Chinese drones anyway

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Der Spiegel, which reported that no one tracked centrally which unit bought which drone

The ministry says there is no blanket country-wide ban and that purchases rest on individual risk assessments. That leaves room for units to keep buying Chinese models where a commander judges the risk acceptable. Spiegel reported that the earlier white-list era produced several thousand purchases with no central record, which is why the ministry says this ban has to be force-wide.

Counterintelligence confirms data left the drones

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: An insider cited by Der Spiegel; the ministry has not answered questions about the suspected diversion

Der Spiegel reported that an insider said MAD found forensic traces of data being diverted from drones the Bundeswehr had flown. If the service or the ministry states publicly that data reached a foreign actor, the dispute moves from suspicion to finding. The ministry has disputed related accounts, including the claim that onboard memory needed up to 1,000 overwrites to clear.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

November 2023 – June 2024

Bundeswehr's first Chinese drone ban (2023)

Lieutenant General Martin Schelleis signed Order 159, barring unmanned aircraft from states with special security risks, at the time only China. The order warned that Bundeswehr data could reach Beijing. About seven months later, the military's own drone task force recommended eight DJI models for an approved list.

Then

The ban was effectively reversed, and in November 2024 the Bundeswehr signed a framework contract for 500 DJI Matrice M30T drones.

Now

Local commanders bought several thousand Chinese drones with little central tracking, which is the gap the 2026 ban is meant to close.

Why this matters now

The current ban is the same policy returning with force-wide scope. Understanding why the first one failed explains why this one is written differently.

April 2025

The April 2025 warranty claim

A Bundeswehr DJI drone crashed. The military filed a warranty claim, and DJI rejected it as pilot error based on its own analysis of data stored on the aircraft, according to an insider cited by CORRECTIV.

Then

The claim was denied. A penetration test cited by the same insider found onboard memory would need overwriting up to 1,000 times to clear.

Now

The episode became evidence that flight data persists on the aircraft and can be read by the manufacturer, a central argument in the case for a ban.

Why this matters now

It shows the mechanism the ministry is worried about: data stored on the drone, accessible to the company that built it.