The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has decided to limit the use of 973 Chinese-made drones to non-sensitive operations due to significant security concerns associated with their country of origin. These drones constitute around 80 percent of the RCMP’s fleet of 1,230 remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) utilized for various tasks, including monitoring the Canada-U.S. border.
In response to the national security committee of the Senate, the RCMP highlighted that replacing these Chinese drones would incur a cost exceeding $30 million, averaging around $35,000 per device. The elevated expenses are attributed to the fact that non-Chinese alternatives are nearly double the cost, as per the RCMP’s statement.
Experts have raised concerns about potential security risks linked to the communication and data-transmission systems of these Chinese drones. Ygal Bendavid, a specialist in operations management at the Université du Québec à Montréal, emphasized the security vulnerabilities posed by any connected device.
The RCMP is taking precautionary measures by restricting the Chinese drones’ data transmission during flights and reserving them for non-sensitive operations, such as search missions for missing persons, addressing car thefts, and community policing initiatives. The RCMP clarified that these drones are not utilized in emergency responses, protection of VIPs, border integrity operations, or joint investigations with U.S. authorities.
For more critical operations, the RCMP relies on drones from France, the United States, and Belgium. The RCMP also mentioned that a small percentage of drones, classified as custom or for research and development, do not specify their country of origin.
Despite the security concerns, the RCMP acknowledged the cost-effectiveness of Chinese drones in terms of time and monetary savings compared to traditional aircraft like planes or helicopters. The RCMP emphasized that RPAS offer a budget-friendly alternative for investigative operations and accessing challenging locations efficiently.
Moving forward, experts recommend that federal agencies like the RCMP exercise caution in procuring drones, prioritize Canadian manufacturers and supply chains, and conduct security assessments to address potential vulnerabilities.