The CDU in North Rhine‑Westphalia is calling for a nationwide, coordinated strategy to counter aerial threats. In a proposal submitted for the party’s federal congress in Stuttgart in February-reported by Handelsblatt’s Monday edition-the state association urges the development of a “National Drone Defense Strategy”. It argues that the current framework of responsibilities between the federal government, the Länder, and the armed forces is insufficient to address the substantially increased threat from unmanned aircraft that has emerged over recent years.
The paper points out that “different legal bases, inconsistent procedures, and unclear responsibilities can lead to delays or uncertainties in an operational situation”. A national strategy would, it says, provide the urgently needed clarity. The NRW CDU’s goal is to establish clear, nationwide responsibilities among the Bundeswehr, the federal police, and the state police to avoid responsibility diffusion and to manage complex or rapidly escalating drone incidents without delay.
The proposal also requires operators of critical infrastructure to prepare risk analyses and standardized protection, alerting, and reporting concepts so that threats can be identified, reported, and countered early. In addition, the CDU seeks a legally sound procedure for the armed forces’ assistance, enabling quick, coordinated, and location‑specific support against threats from military or high‑performance drones.
Simultaneously, the NRW CDU stresses the importance of state actors. “State police remain the first responders in many scenarios” the proposal notes. It calls for specialized units, mobile defense tools, and reliable legal frameworks-especially to effectively counter everyday “small drones”.