Jan 12 (Reuters) – The U.S. government is planning to permanently halt its civilian drone program due to the devices being made at least partly in China, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
The Interior Department is considering halting about 1,000 drones after deciding that the risk of the drones being used by Beijing for spying was too high, FT said, citing two people briefed on the plans. (on.ft.com/3a4NuZe)
Sources also told FT that Interior Secretary David Bernhardt has not signed an official policy but is planning to pull the fleet from action, with exceptions for emergencies like fighting wildfires and training.
The Interior Department was not immediately available for comment.
Reporting by Mekhla Raina in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa
Shumaker