In light of recent drone incidents, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced the creation of a special unit to combat drones within the German federal police.
“We will create our own unit to combat drones within the federal police“, Dobrindt said at a meeting with his European counterparts in Munich, according to N-tv. The minister intends to “expand the powers, arm and consolidate“ the agencies responsible for drone protection. The previously announced amendment to the Aviation Security Act should legally empower the Bundeswehr (German armed forces) to assist the police in eliminating drones, for example at high altitudes.
This, as the head of the German Interior Ministry explained, does not require amendments to the Basic Law. The police, which are responsible for preventing domestic threats, must be equipped to counter drones. The respective powers of the federal and state authorities must be merged, he said. At the same time, Dobrindt refused to comment on the circumstances surrounding the recent drone flights over Munich Airport.
He recalled plans to set up a joint center to combat drones. “We already have the necessary capabilities in the Federal Police, the Customs Service, the Federal Criminal Police Office and the state authorities.“ "However, we want to significantly expand these possibilities and ensure stronger communication between the federal states and the federal government," the minister said. He spoke of an "arms race" between the threats posed by drones and the means to counter them.
However, Dobrindt stressed that not every drone is a threat. "Many of them, even if they are controlled by foreign powers, are part of a deliberate provocation and do not always automatically pose a threat," he concluded. The German interior minister plans to set up a "development and research unit" of drones, which will cooperate with Israel and Ukraine, as well as with other European countries and the European Commission.
In turn, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, announced additional EU funding for drones. He explained that 150 million euros from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) have already been allocated for these purposes. “We will provide an additional 250 million euros from the border guard fund specifically for drones“, he said, referring to his agency's proposal. This should also include the protection of airports, he concluded.