The facility will combine civilian drone research with security testing, as Germany responds to incidents that have unsettled its airports and authorities.
Germany has launched a Technology Center for Counter-Drone Systems. The facility will develop and test solutions for detecting drones, protecting against them, and ensuring the safe operation of unmanned systems.
The new center was opened in Cochstedt, Saxony-Anhalt. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt took part in the ceremony. He described drone attacks as part of a hybrid threat affecting public safety and political stability.
The counter-drone center will operate at a former airport
The facility is located at the German Aerospace Center’s DLR test airfield. It is situated on the grounds of the former Cochstedt Airport, which came under DLR’s control in 2019.
Up to €10 million is planned for the development of the technology center in the coming years. The project is also expected to create up to 40 jobs.
Research into the civilian use of drones is already being conducted in Cochstedt. In particular, specialists are exploring the use of drones in agriculture and firefighting. A second site of the center will operate in Braunschweig.
Germany is strengthening its drone defense system
The center in Cochstedt will become the third component of Germany’s strategy to counter drone threats. The system also includes a mobile drone-defense unit within the Federal Police and a joint counter-drone center established with the participation of the federal and state governments.
The system is being developed following a series of drone incidents at German airports. These include the discovery of a drone carrying explosives near Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport. The new technology center is intended to strengthen Germany’s ability to detect and neutralize such threats at an early stage.