Mounties’ Fleet of Chinese-Built Drones Poses ‘High Security Risks’: Internal Report

Tens of millions were spent by the RCMP on Chinese-made drones that pose a “high security” risk and will cost up to $34.1 million to replace, exceeding twice the initial investment, according to a government report.

The internal report presented to the Senate national security committee indicates that 973 drones, making up 79 percent of the RCMP’s 1,228-drone fleet, were manufactured in China.

The Chinese-made units pose significant security risks regarding data management and supply chain integrity, according to the report, which was submitted by RCMP last month and released to the public Nov. 27, as first covered by Blacklock’s Reporter.

The RCMP said the drones are deployed under restrictions that the Mounties put in place in June 2023. These include only using local data mode while drones are flying, using offline data storage on police servers, ongoing security checks of the units, and avoiding using them for any sensitive investigations or responses.

“Safeguards are in place to reflect the sensitivity-level of the missions for which the technology is used,” the RCMP wrote in the Oct. 20 release, adding that the high-risk Chinese-made drones are not permitted to be used for any police emergency responses where sensitive tactics or locations are involved, protective policing of VIPs, nor for any border security work or investigations done jointly with U.S. federal authorities.

Chinese technology company DJI denies that its drones present an espionage or security risk, saying concerns about its cooperation with Beijing are “either categorically false or seek to politicize this update given the current geopolitical climate.”

The RCMP’s internal report further notes that the current model for replacing the drones will cost $31,000 to $35,000 per unit, which is more than twice the cost of the Chinese-made units, and would amount to an estimated $30.2 million to $34.1 million. The remainder of the RCMP’s drone fleet is comprised of 112 French drones, 96 American drones, and 24 Belgian drones, according to the internal report.

The Mounties said in August it planned to boost drone surveillance operations along the Canada-U.S. border in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, amid pressure by U.S. President Donald Trump to step up border security. No mention was made at the time of any security concerns regarding the drones.

The Oct. 20 internal report was issued in response to questions about RCMP contracting practices by Senator Claude Carignan of Quebec to RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme before the Senate national security committee.

“Can you reassure us about how national security considerations are taken into account in procurement, especially since tens of billions of dollars have been announced for procurement?” Carignan asked. “I want to make sure national security considerations are taken into account.”

Duheme responded that Chinese drones were bought before tighter restrictions were put in place in 2023.

“Regarding the Chinese drones that were procured—I would have to follow up on that, but I am certain that they were procured before the restrictions on acquisitions were imposed,” Duheme said. “I don’t believe they were purchased by federal entities, but rather by front-line law enforcement personnel, but I don’t want to mislead you.”

Past Concerns

The issue of RCMP drone purchases arose in January when the Mounties sought to swiftly procure new drones to satisfy Ottawa’s demands for bolstering border security amid tariff threats from Trump. The president threatened to slap 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods not covered by the free trade agreement between the two countries if Ottawa didn’t address fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration across their shared  border.

Ottawa put forward $1.3 billion in funding to boost border security in response to Trump’s threats, which included the deployment of Blackhawk helicopters and 60 drones.

An RCMP spokesperson told the Epoch Times on Jan. 20 that reports from an unnamed RCMP staff member that the force had purchased Chinese-made DJI drones were “inaccurate,” saying the RCMP had “not purchased any unsecured drones” with new funding received from the federal government.

Previous concerns regarding the RCMP’s purchase of Chinese technology arose in 2021 when the RCMP spent $549,637 to buy radio frequency filters and maintenance services from Sinclair Technologies, which is owned by the parent company Hytera Communications based in China.