Germany is set to give its federal police the power to shoot down drones that disrupt air traffic and pose security risks, under a new law agreed by the cabinet on Wednesday. The legislation, which still requires parliamentary approval, explicitly authorizes police to neutralize drones that violate German airspace, including by firing on them in cases of acute threat or serious harm.
The move follows a surge in drone-related incidents across Europe, including last Friday at Munich Airport, where rogue drone sightings forced dozens of flight cancellations and diversions, stranding more than 10,000 passengers. According to Deutsche Flugsicherung, Germany’s air traffic control authority, the country recorded 172 drone-related disruptions between January and September 2025, up from 129 in the same period last year.
“Drone incidents threaten our security. We will not permit that,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on social media platform X, adding that the new powers would allow federal police to detect and counter threats more quickly.
Under the law, police will be able to use a range of countermeasures, including jamming, lasers and kinetic options. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said a dedicated counter-drone unit will be established within the federal police, with researchers consulting Israeli and Ukrainian experts, whom he described as being more advanced in drone defense. Police will be tasked with tackling low-flying drones, while higher-end threats will remain the responsibility of the military.
The legislation comes amid growing concerns that Russia is behind recent drone activity in German airspace. Merz has suggested the flights are part of a wider hybrid campaign, though he noted none of the drones intercepted so far had been armed.
Germany joins Britain, France, Lithuania and Romania in formally granting security forces the authority to down rogue drones. The debate over how to respond has intensified after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month called for a continent-wide “drone wall,” a network of sensors and weapons along the EU’s eastern border to detect and neutralize incursions.
Still, officials acknowledge challenges remain. Shooting down drones in densely populated urban areas carries risks, and many airports lack the detection systems needed to provide immediate and reliable reporting.
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