Germany deploys drone detection system at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport after record 28 sightings in first half of 2026
Why It MattersRising drone incursions near major airports are pushing European aviation authorities toward permanent early-warning detection infrastructure to safeguard approach and takeoff corridors.
Germany has activated a new early-warning drone detection system at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER), the German airfield that recorded the highest number of drone sightings nationwide in the first half of 2026. The German Ministry of Transport said the system is designed to locate drones early in approach and takeoff zones and rapidly alert authorities to potential threats to air traffic safety. Transport Minister Steffen Bilger, announcing the system at the airport, said: "We take the growing threat posed by drones near airports very seriously."
Data from Germany's air traffic control service showed BER's control tower logged 28 drone sightings in the first six months of 2026, forcing the temporary suspension of flight operations on seven occasions. That figure exceeded the count recorded at Frankfurt Airport, Germany's largest airfield and the country's second-highest for drone sightings over the same period.
German authorities have kept airport security heightened since an attempted drone attack near Leipzig Airport in eastern Germany in August, when several drones were located near Ukrainian aircraft at the facility. German authorities pointed to Russia, describing the incident as part of a broader set of hybrid actions, while the Kremlin denied the accusations, citing a lack of evidence and suggesting a "Ukrainian connection."
