Chinese drone maker DJI filed a lawsuit to challenge the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on Saturday, seeking to be removed from the blacklist of alleged Chinese military companies.

In an announcement released to Xinhua, the company said the designation is erroneous and decided to seek relief in U.S. federal court after more than 16 months of efforts to engage with DoD.

The company added that it has been dedicated to promoting the application of civilian drone products and opposes the use of its products for military purposes.

"DoD itself acknowledges that DJI makes consumer and commercial drones, not military drones," said the company.