A drone combat unit will appear in the German police
He made the relevant statement on Saturday, October 4, at the "Munich Migration Meeting" conference, reports ThePublic.info citing Deutsche Welle
"We will create our own unit in the federal police to counter drones," said Dobrindt when speaking with journalists. In addition to the German official, heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and migration ministries from Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland, as well as European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, were present at the Munich conference.
According to Dobrindt, his subordinate agency is ready to enter an "arms race," contrasting the threat from drones with new means of combating them. To this end, the minister intends to "empower, arm, and unify" the competent authorities. For example, the police will receive new equipment, and the Bundeswehr, after the adoption of already announced changes to the airspace security law, is expected to have legal authority to assist the police in shooting down drones.
According to the minister, a "research and development unit" will also be established, which "will be able to technically understand" the issue of drone defense. "In this direction, cooperation will be conducted with Israel and Ukraine, as well as with our European friends and the European Commission," added Dobrindt.
On October 4, it became known that a 41-year-old man was detained in Frankfurt am Main, suspected of launching a drone near the local airport — the largest in Germany. The drone was quickly landed in a no-fly zone of the airport. According to the tabloid Bild, the detainee is a Croatian citizen. An administrative offense case has been opened against him, and he faces a fine.
On the evening of October 2 and 3, Munich Airport — the second largest in Germany — had to cease operations due to the appearance of unknown drones. These were military reconnaissance drones, according to Bild citing a secret police report. The incident disrupted plans for several thousand passengers. Over the past few weeks, drones have been spotted over airports and critical infrastructure in several European countries. They were seen over the city of Kiel in northern Germany, over the Karlskrona archipelago, where Sweden's largest naval base is located, and over military sites in Oslo. Near Røros Airport (Norway), three German citizens were detained for illegal drone use, reported the Norwegian newspaper Helgelendingen. Due to the appearance of unmanned aerial vehicles, flights had to be suspended at Copenhagen Airport and in northern Denmark.
