Chinese drone monopoly put on notice amid concerns over CCP spying: 'Strategic mistake'

Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., who serves on crucial subcommittees of the House Armed Services Committee, is leading a charge to phase out Chinese-manufactured drones from use in U.S. law enforcement.

"Here in the United States, we've allowed China to dominate much of the global drone market while American agencies continue relying on systems built by companies tied to the Chinese Communist Party," Harrigan said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"That's a strategic mistake," he continued.

The bill, titled the American Drone Manufacturing Dominance Act of 2026, would offer domestic law enforcement an off-ramp for whatever Chinese-made drones they might be currently using. It also furthers legislative ways in which Republicans have sought to step away from Chinese manufacturing and supply in sensitive areas. It also makes federal grant funding conditional on not acquiring any foreign-made drones after Jan. 1, 2027.

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Rep.-elect Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., poses for a photo on the House steps of the Capitol after freshman members of Congress took their class photo on Nov. 15, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)

In its current form, the bill sets aside $1.5 billion in federal funding, funded through Trump's Section 301 tariffs, to accelerate the removal of Chinese-made drones and would subsidize a domestic drone manufacturing base with defense applications.

Harrigan said drones have become a clear security issue in light of their use in overseas conflicts and their growing sophistication.

"One of the clearest lessons from Ukraine is that drones are no longer a niche capability; they're a foundational part of modern warfare," Harrigan said.

Almost all major U.S. cities have implemented restrictions on the use of drones. In Washington, D.C., for instance, drones are completely banned from use due to the federal Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) that governs highly restricted airspace.

Even so, their use has climbed in recent years — especially in border security, where their fast-moving capabilities have allowed border agents to monitor wide swaths of land.

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A drone hovers in the sky during practice day at the National Drone Racing Championships on Governors Island, Aug. 5, 2016 in New York City. More than 100 pilots are vying for fifty thousand dollars in prize money. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

In 2020, an internal memorandum authored by then U.S. Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott signaled CBP’s intent to significantly expand their use.

"These unmanned technologies will achieve levels of detection, response and interdiction efficiencies not realized by current CBP technological capabilities," the memorandum states.

Local law enforcement also uses drones, but is reliant on Chinese manufacturers like Da Jiang Innovations (DJI). In Texas, for instance, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Texas, for instance. The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) said that of the 966 drones registered to police and sheriff’s departments in the Lone Star State in 2024, 879 were produced by DJI.

Harrigan believes drone use isn’t going away. But even as their use expands, he believes lawmakers should prioritize American safety through U.S. manufacturing.

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Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., conducts a news conference at the Republican National Committee after a House Republican Conference meeting on March 25, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc)

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"If drones are going to play a central role in national security, public safety, and critical infrastructure, America needs to be able to build them here at home," Harrigan said.

It’s unclear when Harrigan’s bill would reach the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.