During a visit to troops in northern Germany, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced plans to invest significantly in the drone defence capabilities of the armed forces, or Bundeswehr.
“We are launching a drone action plan in the coming days,” Pistorius said on Tuesday in the Friesland district of Lower Saxony. The action plan comprises a wide range of measures that are now being implemented. “And that means we intend to invest around €16 billion [$18.6 billion] in this area by the end of the decade.”
“We are procuring drones for reconnaissance, we are procuring drones that can carry out operations and also defend against attacking drones - in other words, the entire spectrum,” said Pistorius.
When introducing these systems to the troops, the aim is to proceed “very strategically and very purposefully,” he said, adding that it is crucial to procure the right equipment quickly and effectively, and to practise using it with the troops.
Visit to Facility Protection Regiment
Pistorius, together with the inspector general of the Bundeswehr, General Carsten Breuer, visited the air force’s Friesland Facility Protection Regiment in the town of Schortens.
A Rapid Reaction Element (SRE) for countering drones is stationed there. The air force was the first branch of the Bundeswehr to be equipped with such a unit in April 2025. This unit is now operational and has already proven its worth in missions and exercises, according to the air force.
Pistorius said that from July onwards, all branches of the Bundeswehr would have such drone units at their disposal.
“Thanks to their expertise, these specialists can be deployed very, very quickly when needed to counter drones, for example to protect military installations and other key sites,” the defence minister explained.
