US Military Takes the Fight to Chinese Drones in Florida

The U.S. military is using cheap Chinese-made drones as live targets in Florida to give troops realistic counter-drone training and speed up new technology development.

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.

Drone Hunters — A drone operations unit belonging to Ukraine’s 72nd Mechanized Brigade deploys a modified DJI Matrice 300 to serve as a bomb delivery platform, supported on the ground by a pickup truck fitted out as a “Technical.”

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.

DJI Drone — DJI drone: Image Credit: DJI

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.

Two ways to continue to read this article.

Community and Environmental Considerations Live-fire shoots are run on restricted ranges with environmental oversight. They also bring in contractors, test teams, and research staff, which boosts business for the small towns around the ranges. Bottom Line Florida has become a major counter-drone proving ground. Using Chinese-made drones as live targets gives U.S. forces realistic training against the exact threats they face overseas. It also drives new technology, faster testing cycles, and better tactics for a fight where a few hundred dollars of flying hardware can ruin your whole day.