The incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport has sparked a debate about security in German airspace. Federal Minister Steffen Bilger (CDU) has now announced that he will rapidly expand measures to detect and defend against drones at airports. The German air navigation service is responsible for airspace security, Bilger told the news portal Politico.
Bilger stressed that timely detection of drones plays a crucial role. While Frankfurt and Munich are already better equipped, no time should be lost at other airports. He wants to accelerate further equipping, the minister said.
Schleswig-Holstein’s Daniel Günther (CDU) also spoke out in favor of improved drone defense. He argued on Deutschlandfunk for enabling Bundeswehr operations domestically as well. Since it is difficult to distinguish between an external and internal threat posed by drones, a constitutional amendment should be considered. The strict separation between federal and state responsibilities is no longer up to date.
The federal government classifies the drone incident as an attack by “foreign powers.” At Leipzig/Halle Airport, a drone loaded with explosives was discovered; the explosive device was defused by the Federal Police. Ukrainian cargo aircraft were nearby, and the airport is considered a transshipment point for military aid to Ukraine.
Source: Tagesschau
