The German government on Wednesday backed legislation that would allow the military to respond to unauthorised drones in domestic airspace, including by shooting them down.
Recent drone incidents in Germany and elsewhere in Europe in recent months have been blamed on Russia, and governments are scrambling to bolster their defences.
The new German law enables the armed forces to “combat, intercept and even shoot down” drones, said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.
Germany recently moved to expand police powers to counter drone threats. But Germany’s constitution puts strict limits on military operations during peacetime within the country’s borders.
Russia in believed to be behind many of the incursions, some of which have shut down traffic at major airports or flown over sensitive sites such as power plants, ports and military bases.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in October that drone incursions are part of an effort by Russian President Vladimir Putin to “intimidate us and frighten us”.
The reforms to Germany’s Air Security Act backed by the cabinet on Wednesday are meant to allow the police and other local authorities to quickly summon military assistance to deal with imminent threats.
“We are significantly increasing our capabilities to be able to deal with the increased sightings,” Dobrindt said.
“We want to be as well-equipped as possible.”
A planned joint national drone defence centre will help coordinate responses between agencies, an interior ministry spokesman told reporters.
He added that Dobrindt would consult with the interior ministers from Germany’s 16 federal states in December to decide on decision-making processes and other details.
Some critics, however, contend that the proposed changes to the law violate constitutional limits on the military.
Dobrindt dismissed that assessment, arguing that German law allows civilian authorities to request “administrative assistance” when threats are beyond the capabilities of the police.
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