Germany has formed a new police force to deal with suspected Russian drone invasions

Germany has launched a new drone defense police force to deal with what is widely believed to be a drone invasion by Russia.

AFP reported that Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Tuesday (December 2) that the federal police force will have a "clear mission to detect, defend, intercept and shoot down drones if necessary."

He emphasized: "We cannot allow hybrid threats launched by drones to continue to endanger our security."

Germany plans to announce the establishment of a new joint drone defense center later this week to coordinate the response efforts among the federal police, local authorities and the military. Major airports will also be equipped with systems for detecting and defending against drones.

Debrint said that Germany will invest over 100 million euros (about 151 million Singapore dollars) in drone defense technology next year and plans to expand this new force to over 130 police officers.

Germany has granted the police greater authority to shoot down drones when necessary this year. The government also suggests giving the military a more important role in responding to the potential threat of drones in German airspace.

In recent months, Germany and other European countries have witnessed multiple suspicious drone incidents. Many drones fly over sensitive locations such as airports, military camps, ports and power plants, and the outside world generally blames Russia.

In October this year, drone intrusions left thousands of passengers stranded at German airports.