Overview
- The Bundestag amended the aviation security law to let the Bundeswehr assist domestic authorities against unmanned aircraft and, in extreme cases, shoot down drones to avert a particularly serious incident.
- The reform creates a new offense for unlawful entry into airport security areas that endangers civil aviation, carrying prison terms of up to five years.
- Parliament’s budget committee cleared an initial order worth about €536 million for loitering munitions from Helsing and Stark and capped total potential spending at €2 billion, with initial fielding planned from 2027.
- Debate continues over constitutional limits and practical effectiveness, with experts split and opposition parties warning about militarizing internal security and stressing police primacy.
- Recent incidents underscored the stakes, including Sweden disrupting a drone near France’s carrier Charles de Gaulle that Stockholm says was probably Russian, and a U.S. military laser downing a Customs and Border Protection drone in Texas after apparent coordination failures.