German police to expand drone defence unit after Leipzig incident

Germany's Federal Police are to expand their drone defence unit in response to the discovery of an explosive-laden drone at Leipzig/Halle airport.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is to order the unit to grow to 300 personnel on Monday, a ministry spokeswoman said.

Instead of four locations, eight sites are now planned "in order to be on the ground quickly and flexibly when needed," she said. 

In response to the heightened threat from drones - primarily from Russia - Dobrindt commissioned a new unit in December tasked with detecting, intercepting and, if necessary, shooting down unmanned aerial vehicles. 

The unit's personnel are stationed at airports, in the capital and at security-sensitive sites across Germany to enable rapid deployment.

In December, it was announced that the new unit would initially consist of around 60 Federal Police officers and would rapidly grow to 130 specialist officers. 

It would deploy AI-assisted jamming systems and automatic interceptor drones, among other equipment. The unit was also to support state police forces in an auxiliary capacity where necessary and where capacity allowed.

Several politicians recently raised the possibility of legislative changes to enable more effective defence against the drone threat. 

The federal government, for its part, points to changes already implemented, including amendments to aviation security legislation. Deputy government spokesman Sebastian Hille said the federal government considered itself well-positioned in legal terms when it came to drone defence.

Late last Tuesday night, a drone fitted with explosives and a detonator was discovered near Ukrainian transport aircraft at Leipzig/Halle airport. An aircraft also collided with an unknown smaller flying object - possibly a second drone.

The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating on suspicion of attempted detonation of an explosive device and dangerous interference with air traffic.