The German Bundeswehr plans to protect its barracks with so-called net-firing drones against espionage. According to the Bundeswehr procurement office, a contract was signed with manufacturer Argus Interception from northern Germany last Friday. The first systems are to be delivered in early 2027. When the barracks in Thuringia will be equipped is still being clarified, the office said in response to a query by MDR INVESTIGATIV.
The interceptor drones are intended to catch small foreign drones that spy on military properties. The interceptor drone flies above the intruder and catches it with a deployed net. The Bundeswehr says this method is better than shooting down a drone, especially over densely populated areas, because debris from a shoot-down could injure bystanders.
The number of drones spotted over military facilities has risen significantly in recent years. According to the Thuringian Interior Ministry, ten drone sightings over barracks, armaments company sites and other security-relevant objects were reported in 2024, compared with 22 in 2025. In the first half of 2026, police reported eight drones over such properties. The Saxon Interior Ministry confirmed five security-relevant overflights in 2024, all over Bundeswehr facilities; for 2025 it reported 21 security-relevant overflights over military installations, armaments companies and critical infrastructure, and 13 in the first half of 2026 alone – not counting the discovery of a drone rigged with explosives at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Saxony-Anhalt’s Interior Ministry reports 28 incidents involving drones over military facilities, industrial sites and private properties in the first half of 2026.
Since the start of Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2022, the number of drone overflights has risen sharply. The Bundeswehr has since recorded hundreds of reported incidents in its area.
