Overview

• Germany’s cabinet approved a draft amendment to the Federal Police Act authorizing interception and, if necessary, shoot‑downs of threatening drones using physical means and technical measures such as jamming, GPS disruption and electromagnetic impulses.
• The government plans a Bundespolizei drone‑defence unit and a joint federal–state centre to begin work this year to coordinate capabilities across airports, rail hubs and other critical sites.
• The draft foresees about €90 million annually for counter‑drone equipment and 341 new posts to procure and operate systems, with the Federal Police also permitted to deploy their own drones as ‘mobile sensor carriers.’
• Beyond drone defence, the reform would expand powers to use phone‑location tools including silent SMS, collect passenger data from non‑Schengen flights, conduct spot checks in weapons‑free zones and detain deportable persons; a provision for source‑telecommunications interception via device hacking is also included, subject to court orders.
• A separate change to the Aviation Security Act to define when the Bundeswehr may act against larger or military drones remains under intra‑government review, as police unions press for faster procurement and rights groups warn of overreach.