DJI Matrice 600 with automatic gun for attack drone training for Chinese military

Take a look at these images that were just shared with us. They allegedly show a Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) UAV platoon working on and training with an attack drone made from a DJI Matrice 600 that has been fitted with an automatic gun.

Armed DJI Matrice 600 for Chinese military

We’ve seen drones rigged with weapons before, but I don’t believe we’ve ever seen a DJI M600 outfitted with an automatic gun.

When you look at how the automatic gun is attached to the DJI drone, the whole system seems to be a bit of a McGyver exercise.

The Chinese army seems to be teaching members of the UAV unit how to use this large DJI drone with an automatic rifle.

The last image shows an instructor showing how to use the DJI FPV Drone.

Interestingly, the 国防総省 banned DJI last week, designating the world’s biggest drone manufacturer as a Chinese military company.

Unfortunately, there was no other information with these pictures besides the fact that this DJI Matrice 600 has an automatic gun and is used to train Chinese soldiers on how to use attack drones.

Wikipedia explains that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People’s Republic of 中国 and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, and Strategic Support Force. It is under the leadership of the Central Military Commission (CMC), with its chairman as commander-in-chief.

Wikipedia might want to add that the PLA now also has a UAV division that uses DJI drones, such as the DJI Matrice 600, outfitted with automatic rifles as attack drones.

Update: we have just learned that the automatic rifle is the Type 95 or QBZ-95, which according to Wikipedia is a bullpup assault rifle designed and manufactured by Norinco, and issued since 1995 as the service rifle for the People’s Liberation Army, People’s Armed 警察 and various paramilitary law enforcement agencies in the People’s Republic of China.

DJI statement on military use of DJI drones

Earlier this year, DJI released the following statement in which they state that:

DJI has only ever made products for civilian use; they are not designed for military applications. Specifically:

– DJI does not market or sell our products for military use.
– DJI does not provide after-sales services for products that have been identified as being used for military purposes.
– DJI has unequivocally opposed attempts to attach weapons to our products.
– DJI has refused to customize or enable modifications that would enable our products for military use.

DJI also says in the statement that DJI “will terminate our business relationship with them if they cannot adhere to this commitment.” The commitment being that the drone maker does not allow sales to any customer who will “use them for military purposes, or help modify our products for military use.”

DJI seems to be in a precarious situation here with its own government.

Let us know in the comments below what you think about these latest developments and whether the US government is right in trying to ban DJI drones for government use.

Photos sourced from social media.