Internal Security: Expert Sees New Threat from Armed Drones
The discovery of a drone with an explosive device at Leipzig/Halle Airport raises questions about the security of critical infrastructure. Aviation expert Hartmut Fricke sees an urgent need for action.
Dresden aviation expert Hartmut Fricke warns of a new threat to critical infrastructure following the discovery of a drone with a bomb at Leipzig/Halle Airport. The device posed a significant risk beyond the danger of collision with an aircraft or physical damage, according to Fricke, a professor of aviation technology and logistics at TU Dresden. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) also referred to a "new threat level" and a "hybrid attack scenario" in the aftermath of the incident.
On Wednesday, a drone equipped with a bomb was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Federal police specialists defused the explosive device, which was found near a Ukrainian Antonov AN-124 transport aircraft. Investigators are also looking into the potential wreckage of a second aircraft that may have collided with the drone. The primary focus of the investigation is to determine the origin of the drone, how it managed to enter the airport's no-fly zone undetected, and why it was discovered on the runway.
It is also necessary to assess the reliability of existing security systems in detecting small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Fricke noted that while suitable technologies for drone detection are already available, including radar, laser, camera, and infrared systems, their implementation in practice has been slow. Combining these technologies and using algorithms to predict flight paths could improve drone detection. However, Fricke believes that the deployment of new systems needs to accelerate, even if not all features need to be available from the start.
He calls for a "staged implementation" of new technologies. The expert is particularly concerned about predicting the flight path of a discovered drone, which is crucial for deploying security forces in a timely manner.
Given the ongoing Russia aggression, Fricke is unfortunately pessimistic about future incidents. He stated, "Unfortunately, we can expect similar incidents as long as the Russian aggression is not stopped."
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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