A draft proposal from the German Interior Ministry, spearheaded by CSU Minister Alexander Dobrindt, is sparking debate and raising concerns over the broadening scope of military intervention in domestic security. The proposed amendment to the Air Security Act, slated for cabinet discussion this week and reported by “Welt” details a new mechanism allowing police forces to request military assistance, including the potential use of force, in response to perceived threats posed by military-grade drones.
The core of the legislation introduces Paragraph 15a, outlining “hazard prevention against unmanned aerial vehicles”. Under the drafted rules, if police encounter a drone exhibiting characteristics indicative of military operation and posing a significant risk, they will be authorized to request support from the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces). In extreme cases, this support could potentially include the application of “immediate use of force” a prospect that has drawn criticism from civil liberties advocates. Importantly, the Ministry’s legal experts assert that such deployment wouldn’t necessitate a constitutional amendment, a point likely to be scrutinized given the gravity of the powers being contemplated.
The operational coordination in a crisis scenario will be crucial, with the yet-to-be-fully-operational Drone Defense Center, scheduled to become active in mid-December, envisioned as a central hub for information gathering and rapid decision-making. Drawing parallels to the Joint Counter-Terrorism Center, the Drone Defense Center is intended to streamline the process of threat assessment and response. Details of how this coordination will function and who will ultimately authorize the application of force, remain subjects for further discussion at the upcoming Interior Ministers’ Conference in Bremen.
While the police will continue to address drone incidents occurring at lower altitudes – termed “treetop height”- a specialized drone response unit within the Federal Police, comprised of approximately 130 additional officers, is set to launch early December. This unit’s primary deployment locations will be critical infrastructure sites, including major airports.
The move has already triggered a political backlash, with opposition parties raising concerns about the potential for mission creep and the erosion of civil liberties. Critics are questioning the proportionality of allowing military force to be deployed in response to potentially manageable civilian drone incidents and demanding greater transparency regarding the criteria used to authorize such interventions. The proposed legislation underscores the escalating challenges of balancing national security with individual freedoms in an era defined by rapidly evolving drone technology.