Incidents of drone intrusions in the German airspace are on the rise, significantly increasing in frequency. “Around 100 cases were reported to the police authorities of the state in 2024” a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior of Rhineland-Palatinate told the Bild newspaper (Wednesday’s edition).
“The deployment of large drones for the surveillance of security-relevant properties is also becoming noticeable in Germany. They are allegedly part of a hybrid war of aggression by Russia” the ministry spokesperson said. “To secure the airspace against espionage and sabotage, the federal authorities urgently need an appropriate technology for the early detection and combating of drone flights.”
According to the newspaper, citing security sources, not a single one of these drones has been intercepted or shot down. The greatest danger comes from drone surveillance of airports and military installations of the German Bundeswehr and US forces in Germany, including the US bases of Ramstein and Spangdahlem. In 2024, the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of the Interior reported around 30 cases of “drone sightings with a local connection to US facilities.