The State of Florida has now reportedly found a creative and strategic use for the roughly 500 Chinese-made drones it has confiscated in recent years: turning them over to the U.S. military to be blown out of the sky during what officials are calling the largest counter-drone training event in American history.
Beginning December 4, the Pentagon will host the “Military Drone Crucible,” a three-day live-fire exercise organized by the U.S. National Drone Association (USNDA). The event is designed to prepare U.S. warfighters for the rapidly evolving threat of cheap, mass-produced drones flooding modern battlefields — many of them originating from China.
President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth first announced in July that the Pentagon would overhaul its drone strategy, marking a fundamental shift in how U.S. forces train, equip, and fight. The National Pulse reported at the time that most U.S. Army squads could be outfitted with attack drones by 2026, part of a broader modernization push.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Army announced plans to purchase at least one million drones within two to three years — an unprecedented expansion of America’s unmanned systems arsenal.
Florida has been ahead of the curve. In 2023, the state banned the use of Chinese-made drones — especially those manufactured by DJI, a company widely seen as tied to the Chinese Communist Party. State agencies were ordered to ground their fleets and replace them with secure alternatives. Some drones were forfeited by government agencies; others were seized through criminal cases.
Now, instead of letting those drones gather dust or be destroyed, Florida is sending them where they belong: into the hands of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) — headquartered in Tampa — to be used as live targets.
SOCOM will use the confiscated Chinese drones to train soldiers in anti-drone combat, including the use of shotguns and other small arms to neutralize fast-moving aerial threats. The training reflects lessons learned from the Russia–Ukraine war, where small, inexpensive drones have changed the face of modern conflict. These drones are being used for reconnaissance, kamikaze attacks, and battlefield coordination — forcing major militaries, including the U.S., to rapidly adapt.
This isn’t just a foreign battlefield concern. Drones have become a major tool for Mexican drug cartels, enabling them to spy on U.S. agents, direct smugglers, and even carry explosives.
Border Patrol chief Mike Banks issued a blunt warning in March:
“We have seen cartel-on-cartel violence that involves drones. We prepare and train to be ready to fight the enemy on any ground. We’re impacting the cartels’ ability to make billions of dollars.”
With adversaries — from China to drug cartels — increasingly relying on unmanned systems, the U.S. military is accelerating efforts to stay ahead.
Florida’s confiscated drones will now play a role in strengthening America’s defenses. Instead of spying for Beijing or smugglers, they will be shot down by U.S. forces as part of a historic training effort — a fitting end for hardware linked to America’s adversaries.
READ MORE: Tennessee Democrat Aftyn Behn Caught in Audio Saying: “I Don’t Want Children. I Want Power!”]
