The German government approved draft legislation on Wednesday that will establish a drone defence centre and authorise federal police to intercept and neutralise suspected drones.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told a Berlin press conference that the changes to the Federal Police Act will grant authorities new powers to counter the growing threat from unauthorised and unidentified drones.
"The federal police will now have authority to employ all appropriate technical measures to defend against unauthorised drones," the minister said. "These measures include electromagnetic pulses, signal jamming, GPS interference, and physical interventions, both intercepting and shooting down drones will be permitted."
The federal police will specifically focus on protecting airports, train stations, and federal government institutions as part of their core responsibilities. They will also provide drone defence support to local police forces throughout the country through administrative assistance arrangements.
"We will establish a joint drone defence centre and equip the federal police with state-of-the-art technology to combat unauthorised drones," Dobrindt said. "We will also create a dedicated drone defence unit within the federal police force that can be deployed nationwide at the request of federal states,” he added.
