The German Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrid, announced plans on Saturday to revise flight security legislation to give the armed forces an official role in defense shielding against drones, including the jurisdiction.

Speaking in Berlin, Dobrid described the increase in recent violations by drones in Germany and in neighboring countries as part of a “constant hybrid threat”.

“We live a race of equipment between the threat of drones and our defense against them,” he said. “It’s a fight we don’t have the luxury of losing.”

The legislative initiative comes in a period of increased incidents with drones in Denmark and Northern Germany, which have increased security and espionage concerns. In Denmark, several airports and military facilities have reported in recent days drones, while Copenhagen Central Airport closed for several hours this week when large drones were found in the country’s airspace.

Dobrid’s proposal is based on two axes. First, the minister announced the creation of a National Defense Center against Drones, which will be united by the federal police, state police, the federal crime and the Armed Forces (Bundeswehr).

The Center will gather budgets, promote research projects and coordinate the development of new intercept technologies – from interference and electronic “occupation” systems to “drone vs. drone” countermeasures.

Secondly, the government will amend the German Flight Security Act, which has been in force since 2005. The new legislation will explicitly allow Bundeswehr to intervene in the context of military assistance to civil authorities when police are not sufficient.

“This, of course, also includes the drone downfall option,” Dobrid stressed.

The current legal framework allows only limited use of interference or police networks, leaving gaps in dealing with larger or military drones. However, the expansion of the army’s responsibilities in the national airspace raises legal issues.

According to the German Constitution, the Bundeswehr is prohibited from regular internal security duties, and may only be strictly developed in a strict cases of natural disasters, at the official request of the political authorities.

Nevertheless, the amendments are expected to be submitted to Parliament in the fall, Dobrid said.