The British Army has been using Chinese-made 3D printers to manufacture weapons, including 'suicide drones', during a military exercise in Kenya earlier this year. The portable printers, produced by Shenzhen-based Bambu Labs, were employed to create first-person view (FPV) drones for attack missions, according to The Telegraph.
Major Stephen Watts, Officer Commanding F Company, 3rd Battalion, The Rifles Regiment, told the Army's official magazine Soldier that the self-built weapons 'proved their worth'. He expressed a desire for 'tens, if not hundreds, of self-built FPVs flying', describing them as 'potent' and capable of flying at 190mph for three-and-a-half minutes, covering 15 miles and being 'very hard to intercept'.
However, security experts have raised concerns over the reliance on Chinese technology. Defence expert Robert Clark called the decision 'outrageous' and 'shameful', warning that China's National Intelligence Law allows the government to compel companies to share data. 'We may as well be handing them the keys to the back door of our security systems,' he told The Telegraph.
The controversy comes amid broader scrutiny of the government's approach to China. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has faced criticism for prioritising improved ties with Beijing, including refusing to label China a national security threat in a recent spying trial. The government has also withheld a long-awaited audit of UK-China relations and omitted China from a stricter foreign influence registration scheme.
Despite these concerns, the Ministry of Defence is reportedly considering training troops to use the 3D printers extensively, aiming for a 'virtually endless supply' of weapons. Critics argue that cost-cutting measures, driven by a £2.5 million budget shortfall, are compromising security.
