Drone expert Robert Geise says Germany has been slow to address the drone threat.

Robert Geise, a German drone researcher, argues that Germany was too slow to take seriously the threat posed by small and potentially armed drones. He notes, among other things, that conventional airport radar systems have only a limited ability to detect small drones flying at low altitudes.

Responsibility is also divided among several institutions, including airport operators, air traffic control, the Bundespolizei—Germany’s federal police—state police forces, and the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces. Geise’s statement is documented as an expert assessment.

However, it is not an objectively measurable finding with a clearly identifiable point at which Germany officially became “too late.” Nevertheless, the growing number of drone incidents, major disruptions to air traffic, and ongoing projects to develop new detection and countermeasure systems indicate that Germany has significant gaps to address. According to an analysis by DLR, Germany’s national aerospace research center, 226 drone incidents were reported at German airports in 2025.

At the same time, Deutsche Flugsicherung—Germany’s air navigation service provider—along with the defense-electronics company Hensoldt and the telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom, is planning a nationwide drone-detection network.