December 2, 2025
RED FM News Desk
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has severely limited the use of 973 China-made drones—nearly 80% of its total fleet—restricting them solely to non-sensitive operations due to concerns over “high security risks.”
The restriction applies to the majority of the RCMP’s 1,230 Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) fleet. These drones are typically utilized for Canada-US border surveillance and a variety of police operations across the country.
In a written response provided to the Senate National Security Committee, the RCMP estimated that replacing the Chinese drones would cost more than $30 million, noting that non-Chinese alternatives are approximately twice as expensive.
Experts have indicated that the RCMP’s concerns are primarily linked to potential security vulnerabilities associated with the drones’ communication and data-transmission systems.
The RCMP clarified that it never uses the Chinese-manufactured drones for its most sensitive operations, including emergency response teams, VIP protection, border integrity operations, or investigations conducted jointly with US authorities.
For these higher-risk tasks, the RCMP relies on a smaller fleet of 112 French, 96 American, and 24 Belgian-made drones. Responding to questions from Conservative Senator Claude Carignan, the force confirmed it currently uses no Canadian-manufactured drones.
The RCMP stated that the restricted Chinese drones were purchased prior to a department-wide ban on their use, which was implemented in 2023.
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