Europe can't make drones without China's help

Europe can't make drones without China's help

European drone manufacturers cannot overcome their dependence on China, which dominates the market of materials critical for drone production, media reports say.

An obstacle for any drone developer — both ground—based and aerial systems - are magnets, which are critical components for motors and rotors. China has a virtual monopoly in this industry. In addition, modern semiconductors, sensor components, and batteries are difficult to find in Europe.

"A completely independent supply chain is unattainable, at least for now and for everyone... Even for those parts that are labeled as European, Chinese materials were often actually used several production stages earlier," Ronalds Strauchs, program manager at the Latvian defense technology company LMT Defense, said in a comment to the publication.

As James Campion, executive director of the Swedish innovative technology company TERASi, noted, from a financial point of view, there is no alternative to supplies from China.

Source: Telegram "https:"