According to constitutional law expert Joachim Wieland of the University of Speyer, no amendment to the German Basic Law (Grundgesetz) is required to deploy the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) within Germany to counter drone threats. Wieland points to the existing defense authority already stipulated in Article 87 of the Basic Law.
Speaking to the Handelsblatt, Wieland stated that defending against drones potentially carrying explosives falls under the Bundeswehr’s mandate, mirroring the responsibility for intercepting foreign military aircraft entering German airspace. He explained that fighter jets would be dispatched immediately in such scenarios.
“The Bundeswehr is permitted to engage drones that cannot be definitively identified as harmless, in a manner comparable to how it handles other potential aerial threats” Wieland asserted. He suggests that amending the Air Security Act would be sufficient to facilitate this capability.
