A warning message about an unknown drone in the German airspace caused a scramble of two Eurofighter jets of the Air Force on Wednesday. The two combat jets, which took off from Laage in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, however, identified the flying object as a loose weather balloon, which was likely from the UK and was moving very quickly due to strong winds, according to the Spiegel.
The incident shows how seriously the security authorities currently take the threat of military drones. The Dutch military reportedly notified the Bundeswehr around 10 am that a large drone was approaching the German airspace along the Dutch coast. The Dutch fighter pilots, however, could not clearly identify the flying object.
The Air Force reacted immediately. In Laage, an “Alpha scramble” was triggered, and within a few minutes, two Eurofighters took off. The so-called “Alarm-Rotte” is on standby day and night to intercept, identify, and if necessary, engage non-identified flying objects in German airspace. After the drone alarm on Wednesday, the pilots could already give the all-clear after a short time.