Police forces across the German states are investing millions of euros in setting up and equipping new units dedicated to drone defense. This data comes from a survey conducted by the publication “Focus” among the interior ministers of the 16 states.
Many states consider drones to be a serious threat rather than merely benign technical toys. Manuel Hagel, the Interior Minister of Baden-Württemberg (CDU), stated that drones pose a real and serious risk to internal security. In response, Baden-Württemberg plans to expand its existing drone defense center and acquire additional modern intercept technology for the police, amounting to 2.5 million euros. Hagel cited the attempted attack at the Leipzig airport using explosive drones in early August as a drastic demonstration of this danger.
In Hesse, drone defense will be “massively” expanded with an investment of 10 million euros. Interior Minister Roman Poseck (CDU) added that personnel reinforcements have already been implemented, describing the security situation as “tense.”
In Bavaria, defensive measures are already in place at the Munich, Nuremberg, and Memmingen airports, combining stationary and mobile interception technology, which the state intends to expand further. The Bavarian Police’s Drone Competence and Defense Center (DKAZ) in Erding is scheduled to grow gradually to 100 employees.
Further significant investments include Niedersachsen, which plans to allocate 7.3 million euros for anti-drone technology. The Saxon Ministry of the Interior is planning investments of up to 7.9 million euros for new equipment over the years 2027 and 2028, with half of that funding dedicated to drone defense. The authority noted that in the first half of 2026 alone, 13 security-relevant drone incursions were reported over critical infrastructure sites, military facilities, and arms companies in Saxony.
Meanwhile, in Schleswig-Holstein, the ministry reported 148 such incidents in 2025. To combat this, the state has since created 50 new positions specifically for the drone defense unit and necessary investigation work, while simultaneously investing 7 million euros in modern interception technology.
The Federal Government views Germany as a “daily target of hybrid warfare,” referencing the incident in Leipzig, and holds Russia responsible for the attack involving explosive drones.
