In response to the increasing threats, Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Soeder, leader of the Christian Democrat CSU, emphasized the need for decisive action. After the government meeting, he stated that Germany is facing increasing risk, as evidenced by, among others, cyberattacks, which he believed could be behind Russia. Soeder emphasized that in critical situations “the consequence must be shooting down, not waiting.” The Prime Minister emphasized that the protection of the population and territory remains a priority.
The new act provides that the police will receive tools to quickly check whether a given drone has the required flight permit and whether it poses a threat. If a danger is detected, officers will be able to neutralize the devices in several ways: by taking over electronic control, immobilizing them in the network or disrupting the drive. Ultimately, it will be possible to shoot them down.
As part of preventive measures, a competence and defense center against drones is to be established in Erding, near Munich airport. The facility will cooperate with the Bundeswehr and local technology companies, the dpa news agency reported.
Act in the national parliament
The draft law is still awaiting approval by the national parliament. Meanwhile, at the federal level, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced a strengthening of the drone defense system. It is planned to create a common center in which the federal police, customs services, the Federal Criminal Office (BKA) and the authorities of individual federal states will cooperate.
These decisions are a response to recent disruptions to air traffic at Munich Airport caused by the presence of drones. As a result of these incidents, many flights were canceled, affecting the travel plans of over 10,000 people. people. A drone was also spotted over a Bundeswehr facility near the airport.
