Italian Police raid drone manufacturer over secret Chinese ownership

[DWG]

Italian police raid drone maker over alleged Chinese takeover

An Italy-based defense firm that has supplied small drones to the country’s special forces was quietly and illegally purchased by Chinese state companies, Italian investigators claim.

www.defensenews.com

TLDR: Alpi Aviation, manufacturer of the Strix, which is used by Italian SF, was bought for an inflated price in 2018, by a Hong Kong based front company for two Chinese state owned corporations, and didn't inform the Italian government, violating its 'Golden Power' law about foreign ownership of defence companies. It's also alleged to have illegally exported one drone to a Shanghai trade show by describing it as a "model aircraft" on the export paperwork.

 

[DWG]

Rome says Chinese firm illicitly acquired local UAV maker

Italian authorities have charged six individuals for a conspiracy to transfer sensitive unmanned air vehicle (UAV) technology to China through the acquisition of a Pordenone-based aerospace firm.

www.flightglobal.com

A few more details in the Flight coverage (TLDR: 3 Italians and 3 Chinese nationals charged, and the UAV shipped to China for 'a trade show' was there for a year)

 

[archipeppe]

Finally someone in Rome woke up....

 

[pathology_doc]

We know what the Romans would have done to these guys.

 

[archipeppe]

We know what the Romans would have done to these guys.

You mean the Ancient Romans, unfortunately the actual ones (me included) are quite different...