The European Union is currently unable to completely eliminate its dependence on Chinese components for the production of drones, according to the Euractiv portal.
He notes that magnets are a key component of drone engines and rotors, and China has established almost exclusive control over them. As the European Commission previously reported, the EU still imports 100% of its rare earth metals for permanent magnets and 97% of its magnesium from China.
This also applies to advanced semiconductors, sensor components and batteries. According to Ronald Strauchs, a representative of LMT Defence, “a completely independent supply chain is currently unattainable“. Experts say that completely abandoning Chinese components in the short term is simply impossible.
In addition, China is currently more competitive in the production of most components, especially electronics, explained James Campion, CEO of Swedish company TERASi, which develops advanced technologies. “From a financial point of view, there is simply no alternative,” he said.