Drones over Denmark's military base: panic in the sky!

Drones over Denmark's military base: panic in the sky!

In Denmark, another drone sighting over the Karup military base, the largest in the country, is causing excitement. On Friday evening, a security spokesman noted that "one or two drones" had been spotted, before the information was made public on Saturday. In the short term, the airspace over the area was temporarily closed to civil aviation, but fortunately there was no significant impact on flight operations. The exact origin of the drones remains unclear and there is currently no indication as to whether there is a connection to previous sightings that have repeatedly made headlines recently.

The situation became particularly explosive when several larger drones were spotted over Copenhagen Airport on Monday evening. As a result, the airport was completely closed for hours. Smaller airports in Jutland, near the German border, also had to stop operations overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. It is significant that the police have not released any information about those responsible for the drone flights, which makes the situation even more confusing.

Hybrid attacks and political reactions

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has already spoken of a "hybrid attack" and suspects that a professional actor is behind the incidents. This is supported by the fact that the Danish authorities have repeatedly reported drone overflights over various civil and military airspaces in recent days. These include airports in Aalborg, Esbjerg, Sönderborg and the Skrydstrup air base. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen did not rule out any possibility in his recent statement and drew parallels to the security challenges in the region.

The unidentified drones not only worry the military, but also raise larger security questions. The EU has already presented plans to build a defense system against unmanned aircraft. The so-called “drone wall” was discussed at a meeting attended by representatives of eight EU member states, including Denmark and Ukraine, via video conference. The aim of this project is to strengthen the defense of the EU's eastern borders to address the growing risk of drone attacks.

Drones – a new challenge for Europe

As Deutsche Welle notes, drones have become increasingly popular in both the military and commercial sectors since the 1970s. But the challenges for the security authorities are considerable. Airports often find it difficult to identify and stop unauthorized drones without risking collateral damage. The entire aviation system is facing major challenges as drone technology advances, and legislation cannot keep pace. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has launched a clear call for the creation of a European drone wall that, if necessary, can also take an offensive approach to dangerous drones.

The current incidents in Denmark are just part of a broader issue that is gaining importance across the EU. While the exact background to the sightings remains unclear, it remains to be seen what measures the EU and its member states will take to respond appropriately to this threat.

For anyone interested, the following links provide further information on this topic: Radio Ennepe Ruhr, BR and DW.