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Policy Paper
Drone threats: From individual measures to an effective defence architecture
HDKZ Policy Paper Series, No. 1 (August 2026) | © HDCC
The drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport has sparked an intense debate about drone defence in Germany. So far, the political responses have focused primarily on expanding state defence capabilities: more staff, more defence technology and additional sites. These measures are necessary. However, they do not solve the fundamental problem of protecting critical infrastructure.
The crucial question goes beyond the expansion of state defence capabilities and begins at an earlier stage: how can effective yet realistic protection of critical infrastructure be organised in the face of a growing and rapidly evolving technological drone threat? The expert dialogue on drone detection and defence organised by the Hessian Drone Competence Centre (HDCC) with operators of critical infrastructure, the police, aviation stakeholders and technology providers identifies four key areas for action, which are discussed in this policy paper.
You can download the policy paper here.