US Military Takes the Fight to Chinese Drones in Florida

Florida has quietly turned into one of the main places the U.S. military uses Chinese-made drones as live targets. The goal is simple: train troops against the same cheap commercial drones that show up in every modern conflict zone.

Since about 2024, ranges like Eglin Air Force Base and the Avon Park Air Force Range have been running routine live-fire drills using off-the-shelf drones from companies like DJI. These are not issued to troops. They are used only as threat stand-ins because they fly, maneuver, and behave like the drones our enemies use overseas.

Why They Use Chinese Drones

1. Realistic Threat Training

Chinese commercial drones show up everywhere. Ukraine. Syria. North Africa. Cartel territory. The South China Sea. Anyone with a credit card can weaponize one. Using the same models in training gives air defense crews a real read on what they will see in the field.

2. Counter-Drone and Electronic Warfare Practice

Florida’s open airspace and weather give units room to test everything from old-school shotguns and rifles to vehicle-mounted machine guns and portable missile systems. They also run electronic warfare tests like GPS jamming, spoofing, and signal disruption. This helps dial in counter-drone tools that are still evolving fast.

3. R&D and Data Collection

Every shoot-down produces useful telemetry. That data gets fed back into labs that work on next-generation detection systems, sensors, and engagement methods. Florida is close to several of these labs and defense contractors, which speeds up the development cycle.

Policy and Security Notes

There is a reason the Pentagon banned Chinese-made drones from official U.S. government use. DJI and other Chinese brands are not trusted for any mission-related work because of concerns about data routing, software vulnerabilities, and potential exploitation.

But for target drones, these concerns do not matter. The military flies them only in controlled environments, and they are treated as expendable hardware.

Industry and Academic Partnerships

Embry-Riddle, Florida Tech, and several defense contractors regularly support these exercises. They help analyze swarm behavior, RF signatures, and how well current counter-drone systems actually perform. A lot of what is learned in Florida ends up in new field manuals and procurement programs.