The British military has incorporated Chinese-manufactured 3D printers into its arsenal for weapon production, raising security concerns among experts about the dependency on technology from China.
During a recent exercise in Kenya, British forces utilized portable 3D printers developed by Shenzhen’s Bambu Labs, as reported by The Telegraph. This technology was pivotal in creating ‘suicide drones’ for offensive purposes.
The military is considering training soldiers to operate these 3D printers, aiming to maintain a ‘virtually limitless supply’ of armaments.
In an interview with Soldier, the Army’s official magazine, Maj Stephen Watts, Officer Commanding F Company, 3rd Battalion, The Rifles, highlighted the effectiveness of these weapons. He expressed a desire to see ‘tens, if not hundreds, of self-assembled FPVs in operation, significantly boosting their formation’s lethality.’
He emphasized that training entire platoons in the use of these weapons could exponentially enhance the Army’s combat capabilities, providing them with an almost infinite arsenal.
‘Imagine if we had whole platoons trained to use these weapons on operations, armed with a virtually endless supply of them. That would increase the Army’s fighting power many times over.
‘We only used our self-made platforms sparingly – but they are potent, flying at 190mph for three-and-a-half minutes, which means they can cover 15 miles and are very hard to intercept.’
But on Saturday, security experts raised concerns over the use of Chinese manufactured 3D printers.
The British army is using Chinese-made 3D printers to build weapons
But security experts have warned of the dangers of relying on Beijing ‘s technology
This is because China’s National Intelligence Law, companies can be compelled to share data with the government.
Speaking to The Telegraph, defence expert Robert Clark said the decision to use a Chinese company for the army’s 3D printing was ‘outrageous’ and ‘shameful’.
‘The Ministry of Defence are just not learning their lessons on this,’ he said.
‘We may as well be handing them the keys to the back door of our security systems.
Clark also accused ministers of using Chinese-made technology to save money despite security concerns.
‘The big picture is that the MoD is currently facing a £2.5 million black hole for the next financial year, and they are clearly doing things now on the cheap’, he said.
It comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer was criticised for overlooking the threat to national security by trying to improve Britain’s ties with China.
Prosecutors last month said they had to abandon the trial of two British men charged with spying in parliament for China because the British government had refused to say Beijing was a threat to its national security.
A British Army Bambu Labs 3D-printer creating an FPV ‘suicide drone’
Prime Minister Keir Starmer was criticised for overlooking the threat to national security by trying to improve Britain’s ties with China
Starmer’s government denies ministers interfered in the case to appease Beijing.
But political opponents say it was the sixth occasion it has prioritised improving relations with China over security or human rights concerns.
Those opponents also point to the government’s refusal to publish a long-awaited audit into relations with Beijing and the omission of China from a list of countries subject to stricter rules under a foreign influence registration scheme.
Starmer’s Labour government has made improved relations with Beijing a key priority as it seeks foreign investment to make good on its election pledge to upgrade infrastructure and grow the economy.
But former senior security experts and trade advisers warned that is a dangerous path to tread during a global tariff war, and when China has in the past been accused by rivals of deploying economic coercion when threatened.
China is Britain’s fifth-largest trading partner, accounting for 5.5 percent of trade.
But British exports to China fell 12 percent in the year to end March, the second sharpest fall among Britain’s 20 biggest trading partners since Labour won power in July last year, and China accounted for just 0.2 percent of total inward foreign investment.
