Are drone flight control chips made in China? Thunder Tiger: They are produced by STMicroelectronics
Drone manufacturer Thunder Tiger responded to reports that its drones contained Chinese chips, stating that the chips were designed and manufactured by France's STMicroelectronics. The company emphasized that the chips meet international 'substantial transformation' standards and that only packaging occurred in China.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 27, 2026 at 14:54
- 🔍 Collected: May 31, 2026 at 23:42 (104h 48m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 2, 2026 at 01:04 (25h 21m after Collected)
Drone manufacturer Thunder Tiger responded today to media reports that a 'training suicide drone' delivered to the Army Command Headquarters was found to contain Chinese chips. The company stated that the flight control core chip was researched, developed, and manufactured by STMicroelectronics S.A., one of the world's top 10 semiconductor manufacturers, headquartered in France, and a representative European semiconductor firm in the democratic supply chain.
Thunder Tiger explained that while STMicroelectronics chips are packaged in China, packaging is not equivalent to a Certificate of Origin (COO). For example, if a chip manufactured by TSMC in Taiwan is sent to China for back-end packaging, its COO remains Taiwan. This is a standard recognized by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the WTO, and Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs. The flight control chips used by Thunder Tiger follow the same legal principles.
Thunder Tiger pointed out that the chips used in the training drones meet Taiwan's 'substantial transformation' criteria, and the markings seen during inspection refer to regional packaging.
Thunder Tiger further noted that according to Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs and WTO international trade practices, semiconductor origin is determined by where 'substantial transformation' occurs, such as IP design and wafer fabrication. Back-end testing and packaging do not affect the legal origin. STMicroelectronics' products are certified as French, complying with global semiconductor supply chain practices.
Thunder Tiger emphasized that the chip's core architecture and IP were designed and manufactured in Europe, and its cybersecurity architecture complies with international military standards, not Chinese technology. This is a common practice among defense contractors using STMicroelectronics products, and Thunder Tiger's cybersecurity compliance is unaffected by the packaging location.
Thunder Tiger added that training drones and Blue UAS military products are completely separate. The product in question is a low-cost training model, distinct from the Overkill FPV flagship combat system that has received US Department of Defense Blue UAS cybersecurity certification. They differ in procurement specifications, component selection, cybersecurity verification, and supply chain review.
Thunder Tiger explained that while STMicroelectronics chips are packaged in China, packaging is not equivalent to a Certificate of Origin (COO). For example, if a chip manufactured by TSMC in Taiwan is sent to China for back-end packaging, its COO remains Taiwan. This is a standard recognized by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the WTO, and Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs. The flight control chips used by Thunder Tiger follow the same legal principles.
Thunder Tiger pointed out that the chips used in the training drones meet Taiwan's 'substantial transformation' criteria, and the markings seen during inspection refer to regional packaging.
Thunder Tiger further noted that according to Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs and WTO international trade practices, semiconductor origin is determined by where 'substantial transformation' occurs, such as IP design and wafer fabrication. Back-end testing and packaging do not affect the legal origin. STMicroelectronics' products are certified as French, complying with global semiconductor supply chain practices.
Thunder Tiger emphasized that the chip's core architecture and IP were designed and manufactured in Europe, and its cybersecurity architecture complies with international military standards, not Chinese technology. This is a common practice among defense contractors using STMicroelectronics products, and Thunder Tiger's cybersecurity compliance is unaffected by the packaging location.
Thunder Tiger added that training drones and Blue UAS military products are completely separate. The product in question is a low-cost training model, distinct from the Overkill FPV flagship combat system that has received US Department of Defense Blue UAS cybersecurity certification. They differ in procurement specifications, component selection, cybersecurity verification, and supply chain review.
FAQ
What is Thunder Tiger?
A major Taiwanese drone manufacturer.