The law change would allow drones to be shot down in the event of a threat to lives or the safety of critical equipment.
The German army will be able to shoot down suspicious drones, which are increasingly moving over strategically important objects in the country. This is presupposed by a bill that will be approved by the government in Berlin on Wednesday, and the DPA agency obtained it on Tuesday, reports TASR.
A planned change to the Aviation Security Act would allow the armed forces to use weapons against drones. So far, they only have the authority to force them to change course, land, or threaten to use weapons or fire warning shots.
Government officials justify the additional powers by the fact that “illegal” drones are increasingly observed in Germany over critical infrastructure and military facilities, DPA wrote. According to the proposal, shooting down a drone would be possible in the event of a threat to lives or the safety of critically important equipment.
The change in the law must be approved by the Bundestag, where the government wants to enforce it even before early parliamentary elections in February. However, it is not clear whether he will have enough votes, Reuters reported.
Recently, Germany has reported drone flights over the American Ramstein Air Base and training sites for Ukrainian soldiers, among other things. In November last year, a drone flew past a British aircraft carrier that was visiting Hamburg. On Monday, German police said they were investigating suspected Russian espionage after drones were spotted over military bases in Bavaria.
