Germany’s debate over drone defence at airports sharpened after Hamburg interior senator Andy Grote, who chairs the Interior Ministers’ Conference, dismissed claims that responsibility for countering drones is unclear. In a ZDF morning interview, he argued that the division of roles is already defined: the Bundespolizei covers airports, the Bundeswehr handles military defence situations and protection of its own facilities, and state police deal with other locations.
Grote’s remarks come amid renewed pressure on German authorities after recent drone incidents near airports. The current dispute is less about legal jurisdiction than about whether the country has a common and fast enough operational response to detect and counter more advanced drones. Interior ministers have been discussing how to improve drone-defence capability, reflecting a wider concern that existing structures may be too slow for aviation security needs.
For airports, the issue goes beyond policing. Effective drone detection and disruption affect flight operations, airspace safety and the protection of critical infrastructure. Grote’s intervention indicates that policymakers are focused on capability gaps rather than a wholesale rewrite of who is formally responsible.