Germany has begun forming mobile units of the Federal Police that will counter drones and protect airports, railway stations, government districts and other strategic sites. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced the plan.
Under the Interior Ministry’s plan, rapidly deployable special groups will be stationed in nine key cities: Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Leipzig, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Hanover. The units will be equipped with helicopters and specialized vehicles so they can be moved quickly to threatened sites.
Their mission will be to protect airspace over transport hubs, airports, major railway stations and Berlin’s government quarter. This includes not only detecting and intercepting drones, but also neutralizing explosive-laden unmanned aircraft.
The decision follows an incident on 4 August at Leipzig/Halle Airport, after which the authorities said protection against hybrid threats needed to be strengthened. In the future, operators of critical infrastructure are also expected to be given the right to counter unauthorized drones on their own.
