Published on
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) believes the risk of potential drone attacks on the German Bundestag and other constitutional bodies has increased. In a letter to Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, reported on by the Rheinische Post, he calls for a permanently available counter-drone defense capability to protect key state institutions.
ADVERTISING
ADVERTISING
“Protecting the constitutional bodies is of particular importance in light of the current abstract threat situation,” Dobrindt writes. The growing number of drone sightings in recent months has further increased the awareness of the security authorities.
The exchange of letters was triggered by an inquiry from Klöckner in December. In it, the Bundestag president asked to what extent the new Federal Police counter-drone unit could be deployed to protect parliament. In his reply, Dobrindt makes it clear that the unit can provide support for limited periods as part of administrative assistance. Responsibility for counter-drone defense at the Bundestag, however, remains with the Berlin state police.
Drones are becoming a security problem for Europe
The warning comes at a time when concern about drone incidents in Europe is growing. For months, drones entering the airspace of NATO member states have been keeping the alliance’s security authorities busy.
How real the danger has become was shown most recently in the Baltic states. In Lithuania, the political leadership had to seek safety for a time after a drone entered the country’s airspace. Security agencies attribute several of these cases to Russian GPS jamming, which can throw drones off course and send them into NATO territory.
According to the Bundeswehr’s Operational Command, repeated illegal drone flights over critical infrastructure and military installations in Germany also point to possible reconnaissance attempts by foreign actors.
Germany expands its counter-drone defenses
Against the backdrop of the growing threat posed by drones, Germany is further expanding its defensive capabilities.
A reform of the Aviation Security Act has expanded the powers of the Federal Police and the Bundeswehr. In the future, the armed forces will be allowed to support state police forces in countering drones and, as a last resort, to use armed force if a threat cannot be repelled in any other way. Streamlined decision-making processes are also intended to enable faster responses to threats.
There is also a technical upgrade. In Berlin, discussions are under way on setting up a comprehensive detection and defense system. According to Bild newspaper, a network of 62 radio sensors is to detect drones at an early stage.
How suspicious flying objects are to be stopped in an emergency is still unclear. In addition to shooting them down, special interceptor drones are also being discussed that could disable other drones using nets.