The German Air Traffic Control agency (DFS), in collaboration with the defense company Hensoldt and Deutsche Telekom, is planning to establish a nationwide network for detecting and defending against drones.
This initiative, dubbed the “Action Plan Drones Germany,” centers on an AI-powered platform. This platform will connect data gathered by cellular towers with fixed drone detection and defense systems located at airports, power plants, and German Armed Forces facilities. Data reported by these decentralized monitoring sensors will be aggregated and analyzed automatically. The ultimate goal is to create a comprehensive national picture of drone activity, forming the basis for both civilian and military drone defense operations.
Oliver Dörre, CEO of Hensoldt, noted to the “Welt am Sonntag” that Germany possesses the necessary technological capabilities for drone defense. However, he emphasized that operational readiness during a threat requires an architecture capable of coordinating the various systems used for drone detection, classification, and combat. While Hensoldt itself offers detection and countermeasures, the planned platform is designed to integrate solutions from manufacturers across the industry.
