4. From Disruption to Launch: Germany Expands Police Powers to Address Drone Threats
Germany is moving towards granting the federal police the authority to shoot down drones that pose a threat to public safety. The government in Berlin has submitted an amended bill for the federal police that includes significant updates, including expanding police powers in the area of defense against drones. The proposal was presented by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, but it still needs approval from the parliament and the Federal Council before it can take effect.
According to the government, the current powers to defend against drones are "not organized enough." The new law will allow the police to intercept these drones or even shoot them down if necessary. Minister Dobrindt described the amendments as a "major achievement," emphasizing that the goal is to enable authorities to respond more quickly and effectively to threats associated with unmanned aerial vehicles. SPD MP Dirk Wiese also welcomed these changes, considering them an important step towards more effective oversight of drones.
The new legislation will allow the federal police to use advanced technologies such as electromagnetic pulses, signal jamming devices, and GPS disruption systems to neutralize drones. These tools work by severing the connection between the drone and the operator, resulting in its complete incapacitation. The German armed forces (Bundeswehr) will also be allowed, under a proposed amendment to the Aviation Security Act, to take action against certain types of drones that pose a threat to national security.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his support for the initiative, stating that "drone incidents threaten our security, and we will not allow that." He added that the new measures will enhance the federal police's ability to detect and deter drones more quickly. This announcement came after a series of incidents that disrupted air traffic at German airports due to unidentified drones.
In Bavaria, the regional government took a similar swift step. On Tuesday, the state’s Prime Minister Markus Söder expedited the passage of a law allowing the police to shoot down illegal drones, following an incident that caused Munich Airport to close for hours. Thousands of passengers were stranded after the sighting of drones forced the airport to temporarily halt operations, and a drone was also spotted near a facility belonging to the German military. Although the source of these drones has not yet been officially identified, Söder and Merz suspect Russian involvement behind these actions. Similar incidents have occurred at major German airports such as Berlin Brandenburg (BER), Frankfurt, Cologne/Bonn, and Düsseldorf, raising widespread concern and prompting the government to act quickly.