US plans to buy Chinese DJI drones for nuclear missile base
Photo: DJI Mavic drone (Wikipedia)
The US Air Force has announced a tender to purchase Chinese-made DJI drones for a base housing intercontinental ballistic missiles in Wyoming, according to the relevant tender and Defence Blog.
Tender was announced for exercises by the 90th Squadron
On August 14, the 90th Contracting Squadron published a combined synopsis and solicitation seeking a small-business supplier for F.E. Warren Air Force Base, home to the 90th Missile Security Operations Squadron under the US Air Force Global Strike Command. Quotes are being accepted until August 24, while questions about the tender must be submitted by August 19.
According to the tender documents, the purchase includes two DJI Mavic 2 Pro quadcopters, listed as refurbished, with Fly More kits; two DJI Mini 3 Pro drones with remote controllers; two DJI Avata 2 Fly More kits; and six airdrop payload release devices.
The contract is expected to be awarded at a fixed price to the bidder offering the lowest cost while meeting the technical requirements.
Why is the military insisting on DJI?
The purchase was structured as a brand-specific requirement, meaning the drones must be DJI products rather than being subject to an open competition among drone manufacturers.
The document, signed on July 29 by contracting officer Chad Evans, states that DJI controls approximately 80–85% of the global commercial drone market. The company’s proprietary protocols, radio-frequency signatures and flight characteristics are not replicated by US manufacturers or other companies.
The document emphasizes that without drones of this specific brand, the base’s "no-fail nuclear security mission" could be put at risk, as training only with simulations or American-made drones would leave operators unprepared for actual DJI signals.
The legal basis for purchasing the drones without full competition is cited as a memorandum by the US Secretary of War, Unleashing US Military Drone Dominance, which allows officers with the rank of colonel or above to purchase small quantities of foreign-made drone equipment for electronic warfare and counter-UAS development.
To minimize cybersecurity risks, all purchased DJI drones are expected to be equipped with RIZER software before use.
"The document describes RIZER as overriding the drones’ native firmware to create what it calls a completely air-gapped system that cannot transfer or download telemetry or imagery to foreign entities or DoW networks," the outlet says.
The issue of countering cheap civilian drones remains one of the key challenges for militaries facing mass drone attacks.
Meanwhile, the scale of the threat posed by Russian drones continues to grow. According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Russia plans to produce 11,000 strike drones in August alone, including new Geran-4 and Geran-5 variants, making the task of air defense and counter-drone systems increasingly difficult.
