Last year, the Bundeswehr set up a “Task Force Drones”. Now the media are reporting on some of the 200 existing and new measures identified.
Drones play a central role in the war in Ukraine, but the German Bundeswehr is still lagging behind in this technology. A “Task Force Drones” of the Ministry of Defence is therefore proposing the comprehensive integration of commercially available small drones into the troops. Commanders are to decide on their own responsibility about rapid procurement in order to be able to train in the use of the devices. The “Süddeutsche Zeitung” and the German Press Agency recently reported on this, citing Inspector General Carsten Breuer. “Our forces in Lithuania and Germany will benefit from drone defence and reconnaissance in the coming months,” said Breuer.
The aim is therefore to make small and micro commercial drones widely available to the German military. The only restriction: they must fulfil military safety standards. The procurement of devices from the Chinese manufacturer DJI, which is also the global market leader for drones used by authorities, is therefore likely to be difficult. A list of suppliers is intended to create clear guidelines.
The Ministry of Defence set up the drone project group last autumn in order to bundle a total of 200 different measures, including those already underway. It is headed by the head of the planning department at the Army Command in Strausberg.
The “Task Force Drones” also dealt with the question of the extent to which the Bundeswehr could equip low-cost small drones, which are used intensively in Ukraine, with explosives. The experts have rejected this proposal for the time being – however, the army is currently analysing the market for these kamikaze drones.
In-house developments and extensive stockpiling are not recommended by the project group, as drone technology is subject to rapid development cycles. The Bundeswehr chose this path in the past and participated in the multi-billion euro development of the armed but cumbersome “Eurodrone”, which will probably already be obsolete by the time it is ready for series production in 2030. Until then, the German Air Force is procuring six “Heron TPs” from Israel in a similar weight class. The first aircraft of this interim solution went into practical flight operations in the airspace over northern Germany in May.
The “Task Force Drones” also proposes protective measures for the troops. To this end, various technical means of jamming enemy devices are being procured, as well as electronic targeting aids to effectively combat drones. The Bundeswehr is also researching anti-drone drones in various projects, including models with catch nets in the “Falke” project.
More jammers are also to be procured against enemy drones, particularly for the Lithuania brigade. The Bundeswehr is also planning to equip soldiers on NATO’s eastern flank with special camouflage ponchos that offer electromagnetic protection against enemy drones in addition to optical camouflage. The initial plan is to purchase 1100 pieces of this special clothing.
The new drone defence measures are also intended to prevent drones from being used for espionage on German military training grounds. There have been repeated reports of this in the recent past, with many of the incidents being attributed to Russia.
A key experience for the establishment of the “Task Force Drones” was apparently the strong demand from Ukrainian soldiers for drones for reconnaissance during training in Germany. According to reports, this highlighted the Bundeswehr’s need to catch up with these new requirements.
Published in German in „nd“.
Image: Ukranian soldiers training on drones (MoD Ukraine/ Slava Ratynski).
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