Drone alarm via MV: Military locations in sight!

Drone alarm via MV: Military locations in sight!

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is currently under the influence of regulatory and media attention regarding the threat posed by unmanned aircraft, better known as drones. In recent weeks there have been numerous reports of suspicious drone sightings, including over military installations, but the bodies concerned, such as the anti-aircraft missile group 21 (FlaRakGrp 21) in Sanitz, clearly reject these reports. According to Welt, there were no registered drone overflights at the Bundeswehr base in Sanitz and other facilities, for example the naval command in Rostock.

The FlaRakGrp 21 is entrusted with Patriot air defense systems and plays an essential role in the protection of the airspace. Nevertheless, reports from the Schwerin Ministry of the Interior show a different picture: There have been numerous indications of overflights over critical infrastructure and military properties in recent months. A report in the news magazine “Der Spiegel”, which refers to an internal authority note, appears to be stoking public concerns.

Drone defense: challenges and strategies

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the last few months have been marked by an increase in drone sightings. In the first half of 2025, the police recorded 68 incidents, including four relevant reports about military installations and one incident about an offshore wind farm near Rügen, as the [Nordkurier](https://www.nordkurier.de/regional/mecklenburg-vorpommern/zwei-drohnen-ueber-mv-abgewicht-begreift-der-kritiken-architektur- Nimm-zu-3714555) reports. This increase in incidents has led the Interior Ministry to work intensively on setting up a drone defense center. A combination of drone detection and jamming systems is planned to competently counter the threat.

Interior Minister Christian Pegel has clearly identified the dangers posed by drones to critical infrastructure. “We have to protect our facilities better,” he emphasized during a conference of interior ministers of the coastal countries, where the topic of drone overflights took up a lot of space. An amended concept envisages developing a northern German drone defense strategy and promoting the training of specialist personnel.

First successes in drone defense

Two unauthorized drones have already been fended off in the last few months: one over the Airbeat Festival and one on the border with Poland. To date, over 130 drone pilots have been trained by the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania State Police - but initially without using drones to defend against other drones. Community drones, on the other hand, are used for a variety of purposes, be it for reconnaissance, observation or even at football games like those of the Hansa Rostock club.

As the report by Publicus summarized, the Ministry of the Interior has invested a total of more than 166,000 euros in the procurement of unmanned aviation systems and their accessories. The head of the police union in MV, Christian Schumacher, is also calling for long-term financing and decentralized defense technology in order to best equip the state police for the ever-growing tasks.

The increasing threats posed by uncooperative drones not only highlight military and security aspects, but also the need for effective protection of critical infrastructure. With international tensions currently evident, it remains to be seen how these developments will escalate and what measures will be taken by the authorities.