A confidential paper circulated among German state interior ministers has raised serious concerns over a marked increase in drone activity across the nation, prompting calls for a significant escalation in countermeasures from the federal government. The document, revealed by “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, details a surge in “sightings of potentially security-threatening drones” within Germany, particularly alarming due to their prevalence over critical infrastructure.
The report specifically highlights the growing risk posed to ports, airports, businesses within the security and defense industries and military installations. State officials fear that this escalating drone activity could “represent a danger to public safety and order, as well as to the interests of our state”. While a joint drone defense center, recently established by the federal government and states, is acknowledged, it is deemed insufficient to address the current threat, especially considering the “changed geopolitical situation.
The paper urges a coordinated and intensified response from Berlin, advocating for the pooling of all available resources to effectively counter the rising drone threat and “maintain the ability of the state and society to act”. The Bundesinnenministerium (Federal Interior Ministry) is now tasked with presenting a “coordinated regulation for the conceptual cooperation between the federal government and the states in the defense and combating of drones” by the next Interior Ministers’ conference in June. This regulation will crucially define the clear separation of duties and intervention powers among the Bundeswehr (Federal Armed Forces), the Federal Police, state police forces and other security agencies.
Beyond simply bolstering defensive capabilities, the paper underscores critical shortcomings in current operational procedures. A significant obstacle is the lack of effective information sharing regarding individuals controlling the drone flights. State ministers are formally requesting that the Bundesinnenministerium investigate the feasibility of establishing a “central file” to register individuals steering these illicit flights. The intention is to facilitate better identification of repeat offenders and the detection of patterns within drone activity, thereby improving investigative leads. This demand highlights a growing debate surrounding data collection and potential infringements on privacy versus the pressing need for national security in an increasingly complex threat landscape.