Germany opens drone defence centre after Leipzig scare

Germany opened a new drone defence research centre on Tuesday after an explosives-laden drone was found at Leipzig airport and suspicious drone sightings multiplied over critical infrastructure.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the centre would strengthen Germany's ability to respond to hostile drones. He said it would become a central part of Germany's security architecture against what Berlin calls hybrid threats.

The site is at a former commercial airport in Hecklingen, about 200 kilometres south of Berlin. It will focus on detecting and identifying unmanned aerial vehicles, and about 65 people will work at the complex.

The opening came less than two weeks after an explosives-laden drone was found at Leipzig airport, a key logistics hub for military goods moved by the German armed forces and NATO allies. The airport also serves as a base for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines.

Flights to Leipzig airport were diverted for several hours while police used a bomb-disposal robot to remove the explosives' detonator. Berlin has not speculated on the motive or identity of those responsible.

Dobrindt said the Leipzig incident was not an “isolated case” and that “the threat situation has become more acute”. Police said nearly 1,000 suspicious drones flew over critical infrastructure in Germany last year.

Drone sightings have also been reported over sites including military bases and airports. Suspicion has often fallen on Russia because of Germany's support for Ukraine, but Russia has consistently denied conducting such operations.

Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, head of the German Aerospace Centre research agency, said the centre would focus on drone detection and on understanding whether a drone was carrying a camera or an explosive. She said the wider goal was to test anti-drone defence systems under real-world conditions.

Daniel Niesler of the pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit said Germany needed to improve detection capabilities before taking defensive measures.