Michigan panel hears industry warnings on foreign-made drones, supply-chain risks

The Michigan House Oversight Subcommittee on Homeland Security and Foreign Influence heard a virtual presentation on domestic drone security and supply‑chain risks from Scott Schaffman, associate vice president and counsel for regulatory affairs at the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI).

Schaffman told the committee that U.S. and allied manufacturers can deliver many operational capabilities used by public safety and infrastructure agencies — wildfire mapping and prescribed burns, power‑line and bridge inspections, and persistent surveillance for perimeter security — but that hardware and firmware from foreign adversaries create long‑term national security and operational risks.

“The bottom line here is that you can’t secure what you can’t trust,” Schaffman said, arguing that vulnerabilities embedded in hardware and firmware can allow data exfiltration or remote control even when U.S. software runs on a platform.

Why it matters: Committee members framed the issue as both a homeland‑security and procurement problem. Members referenced recent incidents raised in…