Lower Saxony is arming itself: seven million for drone defense in 2026

Lower Saxony is arming itself: seven million for drone defense in 2026

In Lower Saxony, the situation surrounding drone overflights is getting worse. More and more unauthorized drone flights over military installations and critical infrastructure such as energy supplies or transport networks are causing problems for the authorities. More drone incidents were registered in the first half of 2025 than in the whole of 2024, when the police in Lower Saxony counted a total of 131 incidents. This prompted Interior Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) to initiate drone defense measures. It plans to invest seven million euros in protection against spy drones in the coming year in order to improve the police's technical capabilities in this area, as ndr.de reports.

The need for a well-equipped defense system is undisputed because the Lower Saxony police do not yet have the means to take effective action against spy drones. In addition to the technical challenges, there are also uncertainties about responsibilities, especially when drones are spotted near military installations. This leads to a meeting of the North German interior ministers to discuss drone and cyber attacks together.

Hybrid threats and their challenges

A key aspect behind these drone flights are hybrid threats that combine conventional and digital forms of attack. The goal of these threats is to destabilize democratic systems and influence public opinion. Lower Saxony is particularly vulnerable to such attacks due to its digital networking. The combination of different methods such as cyber attacks, disinformation and sabotage represents a serious threat that often remains below the threshold of open conflict, as explained on the Niedersachsen website niedersachsen.de.

To meet these challenges, the state government has taken various protective measures. This not only includes technical upgrades to defend against drones, but also the establishment of a “Single Point of Contact” (SPoC) to improve communication between authorities. To raise awareness among citizens, educational campaigns and programs to improve cybersecurity in everyday life are planned.

Joint action is required

Another goal of the interior ministers' conference, which will take place on Friday, is the joint purchase of defense technologies in order to save costs and increase efficiency. The Bundeswehr will also be included in the discussions. The CDU has already brought forward a draft law on drone defense, while the current Green governments are critically questioning the approach.

The initiative to create a joint situation report on the hybrid threat situation, which not only looks at drone attacks but also cybercrime, is also promising. The first approaches to this were decided on at the Interior Ministers' Conference in June, which clearly shows how important cooperation between different authorities is. The question of how to deal with spy drones remains significant, particularly in light of the security of critical infrastructure, which has come into focus, according to a report from cyberintelligence.institute.

The sophisticated strategy to combat these threats could help Lower Saxony to be better armed against the potential dangers of hybrid warfare. Particularly in times when drones are used as the tool of choice for espionage and surveillance, it is crucial to act quickly and efficiently to ensure the security of citizens and infrastructure. Political actors, security authorities and civil society agree on this wish.