Germany Plans to Enhance Capabilities to Counter Drone Threats
Berlin, Aug 20 (KUNA) -- German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt affirmed on Thursday that countering the threat of drones will become a continuous task and a major challenge for German security and intelligence agencies in the coming years.
Speaking to the press during an inspection tour of the aviation unit of the Federal Police in Hesse, in south-central Germany, Dobrindt said the Federal Police is moving to expand its capabilities to counter drones amid growing concerns over their potential use in espionage, sabotage, and attacks on critical infrastructure.
He explained that authorities are preparing for what he termed an “arms race” between drone countermeasures and actors seeking to develop technologies capable of bypassing defense, jamming, and detection systems.
During the tour, Dobrindt reviewed a range of security applications for drones, including search-and-rescue operations and monitoring fire hotspots during forest fires. The visit also included a demonstration of explosive ordnance disposal procedures, as well as an exhibition of the Federal Police helicopters’ capabilities in transporting and deploying water to support local authorities in combating large-scale forest and vegetation fires.
The Federal Police’s drone countermeasures unit currently comprises around 70 personnel, with plans to increase its strength to 300 by the end of the year.
This enhancement of the unit’s activities follows the most serious incident of its kind in Germany to date, when a drone equipped with explosives was discovered two weeks ago within the secure zone of Leipzig Airport.
Some German politicians have suggested a possible link to Russian intelligence agencies, but the Interior Minister declined to definitively confirm this hypothesis before the conclusion of the investigations.
These measures reflect Germany’s broader shift toward strengthening the protection of airports, critical facilities, and transport networks from unmanned aerial threats, as drones have become part of hybrid attack toolkits. (End)
