The latest X10 model is the first American drone to pass electronic warfare tests in Ukraine, making it difficult to jam, and Kyiv has requested thousands of them.
The largest drone manufacturer in the United States, Skydio, is facing a crisis due to Chinese sanctions. Beijing has banned its companies from selling critical components, including batteries, forcing the company to seek new suppliers and seek support from the Biden administration. The Financial Times writes about it.
Skydio supplies products to the Ukrainian army.
Last week, CEO Adam Bry met with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. Officials have expressed concern that China could disrupt US supply chains and complicate the transfer of drones used to collect intelligence in Ukraine.
“If there was any doubt, this action makes it clear that the Chinese government will use supply chains to advance its interests,” Bry said.
He called it an attempt to eliminate a leading American drone company and increase the world’s reliance on Chinese drone suppliers.
China imposed sanctions on October 11 against several US companies, including privately owned Skydio, in response to Washington’s approval of the sale of armed drones to Taiwan.
Chinese authorities visited Skydio’s suppliers, including Dongguan Poweramp, a subsidiary of Japan’s TDK that makes drone batteries, and banned the collaboration, one of the sources said.
Skydio is discussing the situation with companies in Asia, including Taiwan. US officials have reached out to allies in Asia to discuss ways to support the company. Skydio has also contacted Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-Kim regarding this issue.
The company serves corporate and government clients, including the US Army. It has sent more than 1,000 drones to Ukraine to collect intelligence and help document Russian war crimes.
Skydio says its latest X10 model is the first American drone to pass Ukrainian electronic warfare tests, which make it difficult to jam, and Kyiv has ordered thousands of them.
“We suspect that Skydio was targeted by Beijing because it is likely seen as a competitor to DJI,” explained a US official.
Note that in July, China imposed sanctions against six American military-industrial companies for arms sales to Taiwan.
Also recently, the United States Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, said that China is not a neutral party in the war, but is on Putin’s side.
New Correspondent.net on Telegram and WhatsApp. Subscribe to our channels Athletistic and WhatsApp
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.