The Schwesing airbase is a high-value target for surveillance due to the Patriot training carried out there. Germany has already delivered multiple Patriot missile defense systems to Ukraine, which play a crucial role in countering Russian airstrikes.
According to the Munich-based newspaper, military officials believe the drones were technologically advanced and not standard commercial models, raising suspicions of state-backed espionage. Some defense officials believe the newly discovered drones may have been launched from ships in the North Sea or Baltic Sea, Süddeutsche said.
Security officials have observed increased drone activity near military installations. Just weeks earlier, drones were spotted over the U.S. airbase in Ramstein, an installation critical to NATO logistics, prompting the German government to draft a legal amendment allowing the Bundeswehr to shoot down suspicious drones.
The incidents highlight gaps in Germany’s drone defense capabilities. Internal Bundeswehr reports indicate that key counter-drone systems, including the Wingman and RADIS detection tools, failed to respond effectively, according to Süddeutsche Zeitung.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has acknowledged that improving drone defense is a priority but admitted that progress remains slow. In response to the Schwesing incidents, Germany has deployed additional detection and jamming equipment to the base.