In a letter to the German government, the German Aerospace Industries Association (DVA) stated that there is a lack of technical solutions and an appropriate legal framework to ensure such protection. The DVA criticized the poor coordination between the various agencies responsible for countering drone threats and cited the case of unauthorized drone flights over the Manching military airfield, which remained unexplained and unprevented for weeks.

Marie-Christine von Hahn, the association’s director, declared: “Frequent surveillance drone flights by hostile actors over police aircraft are incompatible with our image as a constitutional defense state.” She called for tighter inter-agency cooperation and urgent government support to develop new defensive technologies.

The DVA also stressed the need to close the gap in developing cooperative combat drones, which are already in advanced use in the U.S. and will soon enter German military service. While Germany may need to acquire some systems from abroad to prepare for potential military conflict, local industries intend to remain involved through independent research and partial production. Meeting NATO standards and supporting the domestic sector are deemed essential.

The DVA highlighted the urgent requirement for modern tactical drone systems for the new German military brigade being deployed in Lithuania, expected to be fully operational by 2027. “To protect 4,800 soldiers and 200 civilian personnel, the Bundeswehr urgently needs a modern surveillance and response network supported by drones,” the letter emphasized, noting the extensive use of drones in the Ukraine war.

Regarding civilian drone integration into European airspace, the EU currently faces a patchwork of regulatory procedures. The DVA urges standardization and improved technological infrastructure to enable successful commercial drone use.