Overview
- The Technology Centre Drohnensicherheit at the DLR site in Cochstedt officially opened on Tuesday, 18 August 2026 to test and accelerate sensors, jamming and other countermeasure prototypes under realistic conditions.
- Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt framed the centre as one of three pillars alongside a joint federal‑state defence centre and a mobile Bundespolizei unit that the government plans to expand toward about 300 personnel.
- The government pledged up to €10 million for the centre’s expansion and around 40 new jobs, and DLR will link the Cochstedt work with its Braunschweig facility to move lab results toward field use faster.
- The Bundesanwaltschaft continues to investigate the early‑August discovery of a modified, explosive‑laden drone at Leipzig/Halle and Dobrindt stressed that any attribution requires evidence even as he warned of possible links to wider attack planning.
- Critics and several state ministers say research alone will not fill short‑term gaps: they demand clearer responsibilities, faster deployment of protective systems at airports and ports, and more transparency about operational readiness.