WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (Reuters) – Two U.S senators on Thursday asked several U.S. construction companies to detail the use of Chinese-made DJI drones in government contracts and at sensitive national security facilities, saying the issue raised national security concerns.
Democratic senators Maggie Hassan and Gary Peters asked Hensel Phelps, Brasfield & Gorrie, and the Bechtel Corporation for answers on the companies’ relationships with DJI, citing reports about DJI drone use.
“The U.S. government considers the use of Chinese-made drones generally — and DJI drones specifically — a threat to national security and prohibits their use by federal agencies or contractors,” the letters said. “The use of these types of drones at sensitive and secure facilities creates the potential to provide a pathway for the transfer of important national security-related information to the Chinese government.”
The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )
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