A new law agreed upon by the government on Wednesday, which now needs to be passed by parliament, authorizes the police to neutralize drones that violate German airspace—including shooting them down in cases of immediate danger or serious damage.
Other available techniques for disabling drones include the use of lasers or signal jammers that interrupt control and navigation connections.
“Incidents involving drones endanger our safety,” Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz explained in a post on social network X.
The law comes after dozens of flights had to be diverted or canceled last Friday at Munich Airport, the country's second-largest, after dangerous drones were spotted. More than 10,000 passengers were stranded there.
Merz said he believed Russia was behind several drones that flew over Germany over the weekend. However, none of them were armed—they were more likely reconnaissance flights.
(reuters, sie)