Germany plans stronger defenses against drone attacks and cyber threats

Germany is preparing to expand its defenses against drone attacks after a failed attempt to attack Leipzig/Halle Airport. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt says the country should expect more such incidents.

“Russia’s hybrid attacks with explosive drones on airports, agents in our cities, cyberattacks on our networks and sabotage of our infrastructure are daily reality,” Dobrindt, a member of the CSU, told Bild am Sonntag. “These attacks will increase, but we can defend and protect ourselves.”

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Russia’s hybrid attacks with explosive drones on airports, agents in our cities, cyberattacks on our networks and sabotage of our infrastructure are daily reality.

According to information obtained by the newspaper from the Interior Ministry, the security plan would expand the Federal Police’s mobile counter-drone unit. New units that can be deployed quickly would aim to protect the airspace above major transport hubs, airports and railway stations, as well as Berlin’s government district, as continuously as possible.

The plan would cover more than intercepting drones. It would also include defusing drone bombs and explosive devices. In the future, companies operating critical infrastructure in areas such as water supply, electricity and defense could also be allowed to counter drones, rather than leaving that role solely to the Federal Police and other authorities.

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These attacks will increase, but we can defend and protect ourselves.

Bild am Sonntag also reported plans for a “Cyberdome,” described as a national shield against the hundreds of cyberattacks targeting authorities and companies each day. The Interior Ministry reportedly envisages a dense network of digital sensors capable of detecting and blocking attempted hacker attacks.

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It is right that the federal government is continuing to develop the legal basis for countering drones. Drones over their facilities have already been a recurring problem for many of our members for some time.

The German aerospace and defense industry welcomed the initiative. Marie-Christine von Hahn, the association’s chief executive, said companies had faced drones over their facilities for some time and that legal rules should let them deploy existing defensive technologies themselves when necessary.

The threat is particularly acute for German defense companies that supply Ukraine. Possible surveillance flights by drones have become part of their daily routine, while an arson attack in Munich last week targeted drone maker Helsing. Initial clues again pointed toward Russia, the article said. Months earlier, the Russian government had published a list of German defense manufacturers, in some cases including addresses, openly marking them as potential targets for sabotage.

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It is high time to at least give these companies the legal ability to deploy their own systems themselves when necessary.