Following a thwarted suspected drone attack on Leipzig airport, Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has issued a warning about the persistently high threat Germany faces from foreign hybrid attacks. Speaking to “Bild am Sonntag,” Dobrindt stated that the discernible strategic goal of foreign powers is to undermine Germany politically and socially. He identified instability, the fueling of fear, and destabilization as core characteristics of hybrid attacks, stressing that the country must continue to prepare for these challenges. Although he clarified that Germany is not currently at war, he asserted that it is a “daily target of hybrid warfare.” Activities such as espionage, sabotage, cyberattacks, or “covert actions by foreign powers aimed at destabilizing or directly damaging Germany,” are described as a “constant reality.”
Against this backdrop, Dobrindt and Federal Minister for Research Dorothee Bär (CSU) plan to expand research into drone safety. A new research facility focused on drone security is set to be established on August 18 at the test airport of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cochstedt, Saxony-Anhalt. Dobrindt explained that the “arm race in drone technology requires independent research units in order to keep pace.” Together with the DLR, the country will create a “unique facility” nationwide where “innovative technologies” for drone safety will be researched, developed, and tested in real-world laboratories. The objective is to bring together scientific excellence, technological innovation, and the requirements of security authorities.
Furthermore, CSU Regional Group Leader Alexander Hoffmann cautioned “Bild am Sonntag,” noting, “We are witnessing a terrorist-military threat of a brand new type that must not be underestimated, especially concerning its dynamic development.” He emphasized that to protect critical infrastructure, Germany must be “always active and ready” in both its procurement and development processes, as well as technologically.
