Documents Reveal Canadian Government Using More Than 1,500 Drones Built in China

The Canadian government owns at least 1,600 Chinese-manufactured drones across more than 20 ministries and public service departments, according to documents tabled in Parliament this week. The RCMP is the largest drone user with a fleet of 1,027 as of May, far surpassing any other government organization, according to documents filed on Sept. 21 in response to an inquiry from Conservative MP Eric Melillo. The question sought to determine which government agencies operate Chinese-manufactured drones and what security measures they implement during deployment. The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service declined to release the information, citing “national and operational security considerations.”