Agency Report –
Berlin – Germany’s top general wants to quickly deploy new weapons systems in the German armed forces, or Bundeswehr, to counter drones.
Berlin (dpa) – “One thing is clear to me: in the end, it will probably come down to us having to use drones against drones,” General Carsten Breuer, the inspector general of the Bundeswehr, told dpa in Berlin.
Given the volume of drones Russia is using against Ukraine, effective defence is “only possible through a mix of different capabilities,” he said.
Breuer expects progress within months. He pointed to the timeline for introducing so-called loitering munitions into the Bundeswehr. These are kamikaze drones equipped with warheads that can be directed at targets in large numbers or even seek them out autonomously with support from artificial intelligence. They “loiter” around a target until it is located and then crash into it.
“We made a decision on loitering munitions in March, and by the end of the year, the troops will fire them live for the first time,” he said.
“The battle of drone against drone is being pursued with the same urgency as the introduction of loitering munitions.”
Multiple airspace violations within days
However, Breuer warned that it would be a “mistake” to lose sight of other threats. “We must not now say we are only focusing on drones. As central as the development of drones is for our defence capability, we still face threats from cruise missiles, rockets and aircraft.”
