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18 Jan 24. FBI and CISA Warn of National Security Risks with Chinese Drones. Chinese-made drones “continue to pose a significant risk to critical infrastructure and US national security” and companies should be wary of using them, the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned in a new memo issued Wednesday.
The warning comes as the US has been working to defend against Chinese targeting of US critical infrastructure organizations, which Chinese hackers have been actively attempting to spy on since 2021. Organizations targeted by the hackers cover the maritime, transportation, communications, utility and government sectors, among others.
“Our nation’s critical infrastructure sectors, such as energy, chemical and communications, are increasingly relying on [unmanned aerial systems] for various missions that ultimately reduce operating costs and improve staff safety,”
said CISA Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security Dr. David Mussington in a statement.
“However, the use of Chinese-manufactured UAS risks exposing sensitive information that jeopardizes U.S. national security, economic security, and public health and safety.”
Cheap, Chinese-manufactured drones have proliferated in the U.S. market. Despite their availability, policymakers have long raised concerns of their potential to surveil Americans and threaten digital network security. One China-based company, Shenzhen DJI Innovation Technology Co., has an estimated 70% share of the U.S. market for industrial drones.
In March 2023, a bipartisan group of senators wrote to CISA Director Jen Easterly requesting the agency “revisit its analysis of the security risks posed by the use of DJI-manufactured drones.” Some of those same lawmakers sponsored the American Security Drone Act of 2023 which prohibits, with limited exceptions, the acquisition and use of Chinese-made drones by federal agencies or their purchase with federal funds. That bill was incorporated into the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act and was signed into law in late December.
The new alert doesn’t mention DJI by name, but states that, “the use of Chinese-manufactured UAS in critical infrastructure operations risks exposing sensitive information to PRC authorities, jeopardizing U.S. national security, economic security, and public health and safety.”.
Wednesday’s memo points to laws passed by the Chinese government since 2015 that require Chinese companies, including Chinese-owned drone manufacturers, to provide the government with access to data collected within China and around the world.
“The 2021 Data Security Law expands the PRC’s access to and control of companies and data within China and imposes strict penalties on China-based businesses for non-compliance,”
the memo says, using an acronym for the People’s Republic of China.
“The data collected by such companies is essential to the PRC’s Military-Civil Fusion strategy, which seeks to gain a strategic advantage over the United States by facilitating access to advanced technologies and expertise,” it adds.
The Department of Homeland Security has been warning about the risks posed by Chinese-made drones, which dominate the global market for commercial drones, for years. In 2019, DHS said in an alert that the drones may be sending sensitive flight data to their manufacturers in China, where it can be accessed by the government there, CNN reported at the time.
And in 2017, the US Army banned the use of Chinese-made DJI drones – the leading manufacturer of drones used in the US and Canada – alleging in a memo that the company shared critical infrastructure and law enforcement data with the Chinese government.
DJI denied those accusations at the time, saying that “at DJI, safety is at the core of everything we do, and the security of our technology has been independently verified by the U.S. government and leading U.S. businesses.”
Three major vulnerabilities sensitive to exploitation by UAS listed in the guidance include data transfer and collection, patching and firmware updates and a broader surface for data collection. Drones capable of taking advantage of software vulnerabilities can be controlled by smartphones or other internet of things devices. Sensitive imagery, surveying data and facility layouts are all potentially vulnerable, according to the alert.
“The use of Chinese-manufactured UAS risks exposing sensitive information that jeopardizes U.S. national security, economic security, and public health and safety,” CISA Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security David Mussington said in a statement. “We encourage any organization procuring and operating UAS to review the guidance and take action to mitigate risk.”
Brian Harrell, who served as assistant director for infrastructure security at DHS from 2018-2020, told CNN the new guidance “is an important update given that we still have law enforcement agencies and critical infrastructure operators using these risky tools.”
“This is not the boogeyman – we’ve seen these drones leak data overseas and it’s good to see government agencies call out the known threat,” he added. “CISA and the FBI rightly point out the risk, and more importantly, how to mitigate these known cyber risks. It’s clear that the United States government has deemed Chinese-made drones a threat to security as China’s dominance of the electronics supply chain, including drones, is harming U.S. national security interests.”
The full 4-page advisory can be accessed here.
More material from CISA on best practices and resources can be found here. (Source: UAS VISION/CNN; NextGov
17 Jan 24. German Navy acquires new Deep Trekker Revolution ROVs. The German Navy has taken delivery of six new Deep Trekker Revolution remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), the German armed forces has confirmed.
The new ROVs, which were procured by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) to meet an urgent operational requirement, will be deployed by the German Navy’s 3rd Minesweeper Squadron for mine-warfare tasks, including port and hull inspection.
The Revolution ROV is a rapidly deployable multirole platform that can operate to depths of up to 305 m, and in temperatures ranging from -10°C to 50°C. The system is connected to the control unit by a 800 m-long buoyant tether, which is designed to carry loads of up to 100 kg.
The unit has a dry weight of 26 kg and an endurance of up to eight hours. It features a revolving head that enables operators to rotate an inbuilt high-resolution 4K camera, sonar, and manipulator arm through 260° while automatically station-holding in moving water. The ROV also has integrated lights. (Source: Janes)
17 Jan 24. Italian Government to Approve Leonardo Astore MALE UAV Acquisition. The programme for acquiring two Astore MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) UAV systems, developed and produced by Leonardo, is about to be launched, following the publication in mid-December 2023 of the relevant document by the Italian Government.
The Astore UAVs will act as gap fillers, as the Predator Alpha Plus MQ-1C UAVs that entered service in 2004 and saw action in Iraq and Afghanistan was phased out in late 2022 while the new MQ-9A Reapers Block 5 should become operational in late 2025. The first Italian Air Force MQ-9A Block 5 flight took place in the United States in early November 2023.
The contract will be worth 76m Euro, the main financing taking place in 2023. 2024 and 2025, respectively with 21, 25 and 25m, 1m per year being assigned to the programme in the following five years. These figures might vary depending on the programme
Each one of the two systems will include two Astore air vehicles and one Ground Control Station. Within the contract the Italian Air Force will also receive the relevant auxiliary ground equipment, spares for 1,000 flight hours, logistic and maintenance support for the initial phase while the Air Force will aim to reach full autonomy. The contract will also include training for 40 Air Force personnel, including pilots and maintainers.
Laser guided missiles will also be part of the package, to be used in an experimentation and evaluation phase, as the Italian Air Force intends to use those UAVs also for kinetic missions, beside the typical Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance mission.
A derivative of the Falco Evo, according to information provided by Leonardo the Astore has a 12.5 metres wingspan, a maximum take-off weight of 650 kg, 210 kg representing the payload including 90 kg of fuel. Each wing can carry up to 35 kg payload, which means the UAV can carry two lightweight missiles or guided rockets such as Roketsan Cirit 70 mm ones, leaving 50 kg for other payloads, among them an electro-optical surveillance and tracking system.
The UAV should be fitted with a Leonardo EOST-46 gimballed sensor suite which features a thermal channel based on the company Medium Wave Infrared Erica Plus cooled thermal imager, a colour TV with a x20 zoom being used for daylight operations, while a black and white camera ensures target acquisition. To ensure laser weapons guidance a laser designator should also be fitted. Safety critical systems are installed to ensure maximum safety of weapons firing systems, a man-in-the-loop being of course ensuring target positive identification as well as firing clearance.
The Astore has a maximum endurance of up to 14 hours with weapons installed, 16 hours in clean configuration, with an operational ceiling of 23,000 ft and a line-of-sight range of over 200 km. Powered by a turbo heavy-fuel engine, its operational speed varies between 60 and 105 knots. When flying at 2,000 ft above ground level the noise is less than 32 dB.
Beside their military use under the Ministry of Defence authority, Astore UAVs will also be available for supporting other State entities in homeland security and civil missions. (Source: UAS VISION/European Defence Review)
15 Jan 24. Netherlands to deploy Reapers to Romania. The Netherlands is to deploy General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Romania to help bolster NATO’s eastern flank, it was announced on 12 January.
The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) said it is to redeploy the Reapers it has been trialling from the Dutch island of Curaçao in the Caribbean region, saying the work to dismantle and transport an undisclosed number of the four air vehicles so far received would commence in the week beginning 15 January.
“We now move to Romania, from where we contribute to the NATO mission to keep Europe safe,” the RNLAF said.
Operated by 306 Squadron located at Leeuwarden Air Base in the Netherlands, the Reapers will be flown out of Campia Turzii Air Base in central Romania. Though the RNLAF plans to arm the 10 Reapers it has ordered, the air vehicles deployed to Romania will be flown in an unarmed configuration. (Source: Janes)
12 Jan 24. US launch Vanguard, first Overlord Large USV fully designed for autonomy. Vanguard, launched 11 January, is the first Large USV from the Overlord programme to be built from the ‘keel-up’ for autonomous operations. US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) announced on 11 January 2024, the launch of the Vanguard an Overlord Unmanned Surface Vessel (OUSV) from the Mobile Alabama shipyard.
The Vanguard is the first from the programme for future Large Uncrewed Surface Vessels (LUSV) – each within the range of 200ft-300ft in length – to be built ‘from the keel-up’ for autonomous operations, according to NAVSEA.
Currently undergoing outfitting and testing, Vanguard, a joint effort from Austal USA and L3HArris, will transit autonomously to San Diego, where sister vessels OUSV1 Ranger and OUSV4 Mariner are stationed, along with two additional Medium USVs, Sea Hunter and Seahawk, developed under a separate programme.
Phase one of the Overlord programme involved the conversion of two existing commercial fast supply vessels into USVs for the production of the OUSV1 Ranger and OUSV2 Nomad. OUSV4 Mariner and OUSV3 Vanguard were built as part of Phase two of the programme.
“We are excited to see the progress the L3Harris and Austal teams are making on the construction of Vanguard,” said Capt. Scot Searles, program manager of the Unmanned Maritime Systems program office. “Designed and built as a USV from the beginning, Vanguard will bring new, built-in capabilities that our previous OUSVs did not possess.”
Speaking of the Ghost Fleet Overlord program in June 2021, following the second complete transit of the Pacific by Nomad, Strategic Capabilities Director Jay Dryer emphasised that the programme accelerates service priorities in Naval prototyping by integrating mature technologies as part of a the Navy Unmanned Campaign Framework.
“Our close partnership with SCO on the Overlord program is accelerating the technology demonstration, CONOPs development, and operational command and control of unmanned surface vessels in direct alignment with the Navy’s plans,” said Captain Pete Small, Navy Program Manager for USVs.
Leidos was awarded a contract worth up to $95m for the management of the Overlord programmes long with the Navy’s Medium USV programme, in August 2023, with a one-year base period and two one-year options.
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