Germany expands military powers to fight drones

BERLIN, Feb 26 (Reuters) - ‌Germany's parliament on ​Thursday ​voted to give the armed forces broader powers to intercept or shoot down drones, ‌responding to a surge in sightings since Russia ⁠began its war against Ukraine.

The Bundestag approved an amendment to the ‌air security law from ‌the Interior Ministry, with support from the governing conservatives and Social Democrats, together with the far-right AfD opposition, ​aiming to speed up and simplify drone defence.

Since the Russian invasion, the number of drone incidents ⁠over Germany has risen, with pilots often untraceable. Experts suspect Russia is behind ​many of the flights.

Under the amended law, the Bundeswehr can take direct action against drones ​when civilian authorities request help, ‌including using jamming devices or weapons.

Previously, military intervention was tightly restricted.

The defence ministry can ⁠also order operations independently, allowing faster responses to acute threats, according to details outlined in the legislation.

Police in Germany's federal states ⁠are responsible for combating drones, but often lack the necessary ​equipment.

Federal police powers have recently been expanded, and a new drone defence centre has opened in Berlin to support these efforts.

The ‌legislation also imposes stricter penalties for flying drones into airport airspace, targeting protest actions ‌by climate activists that have repeatedly disrupted flights.

Such offences ⁠will now be prosecuted ‌as crimes, carrying prison ​terms of up to two years, instead of fines.

(Reporting by Markus Wacket, writing by Kirsti ‌Knolle)

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