Germany has opened a new research center dedicated to developing and testing technologies designed to protect airports, public events, and critical infrastructure from unauthorized drones. Located at the former Cochstedt airport in Saxony-Anhalt, approximately 200 kilometers west of Berlin, the facility will operate under the German Aerospace Center. DLR has conducted unmanned aircraft research at the site since 2021. Researchers will use realistic operational environments to evaluate systems capable of detecting, identifying, tracking, and countering potentially hostile drones. The facility expands the capabilities of DLR’s National Test Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and will support both government and external research partners. The opening comes after authorities discovered an explosives-carrying drone near an Antonov Airlines cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport. The incident has increased concerns about drone-related threats to Germany’s aviation and critical infrastructure. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has also announced plans to expand the federal police’s counter-drone unit. German authorities say existing counter-UAS systems require continuous upgrades as drones become faster, more autonomous, and increasingly difficult to detect and classify.
