The U.S. Air Force is planning to buy Chinese-made DJI drones for training purposes at a Wyoming air base that houses Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles. The 90th Missile Security Operations Squadron plans to use the drones as realistic targets during testing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, according to documents posted on the federal government’s contracting website.
The squadron is tasked with defending missile silos, launch facilities and other assets against ground and airborne threats. The planned purchase comes as inexpensive commercial drones pose a growing threat to military bases around the world. The Pentagon reported 350 drone incursions at U.S. military installations in 2024. In recent years, Russia has also been blamed for a series of drone incursions across Europe.
The Air Force specifically wants to purchase DJI drones so personnel can train against the type of threat they are most likely to encounter in the real world, according to the solicitation documents. DJI holds an estimated 80 to 85% of the global commercial drone market, the documents note. Its proprietary radio frequency signatures, electronic protocols and flight characteristics cannot be accurately replicated by U.S.-made drones or computer simulations, the Air Force added in its justification for the purchase.
According to the solicitation, the service is seeking a small-business vendor to supply two refurbished Mavic 2 Pro drones with Fly More kits, two Mini 3 Pro drones, two Avata 2 Fly More combos and six payload-release devices.
To address cybersecurity concerns, every drone will be loaded with U.S.-made RIZER software before use, creating an air-gapped system that prevents any data transfer, the documents say. The procurement is part of broader efforts to standardize countermeasures training for drones across Air Force Global Strike Command’s nuclear missile bases.
The unit is authorized to purchase the Chinese manufactured equipment as part of the July 2025 memorandum “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance,” which allows the purchase of the “absolute minimum quantities” of foreign-made drone equipment needed for electronic warfare testing, training and counter-drone development.
The planned purchase comes amid an ongoing legal battle over whether DJI should remain on the Pentagon’s list of companies that are said to support Beijing’s military. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently ordered a lower court to reconsider whether the Chinese aerial technology giant contributes to Beijing’s defense industrial base.
A final decision is yet to be made on whether DJI should remain on the Pentagon’s blacklist, which prevents certain foreign companies from having direct contracting deals with U.S. government entities.
Photo: A U.S. soldier flies a Chinese-made DJI Matrice drone during a training exercise on April 30, 2026.
Source: Stars and Stripes