Military forces proved unable to neutralize unidentified aerial vehicles that penetrated a sensitive German installation, an internal Bundeswehr document revealed, Spiegel reported. WDR and NDR obtained the report detailing the security breach at Brandenburg's Annaburger Heide site, home to Germany's newly installed Arrow 3 missile defense system. Three aircraft of "unknown type" conducted aerial surveillance above the facility, according to the documentation.
Just days before German officials held the ceremonial inauguration of Arrow 3, the surveillance operation unfolded on December 1. Exclusive possession of the advanced technology is held by Germany, Israel, and the US – the system destroys approaching missiles at extreme altitudes, including trajectories beyond Earth's atmosphere, and is capable of intercepting Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles. Two additional German installations are planned for Schleswig-Holstein and Bavaria, with full operational capability expected by 2030.
German personnel detected three suspicious aircraft circling at roughly 330 feet above the radar installation at approximately 4:40 p.m. on December 1, according to internal documentation. Bundeswehr forces successfully captured video footage of a single drone using their deployed surveillance aircraft. Armed with assault rifles featuring specialized targeting optics, soldiers attempted to bring down the filmed drone.
"The deployed drone defense measures could not engage the drone," the Bundeswehr documentation stated. "Subsequently, the drone shifted position and evaded sight."
No speculation about potential suspects appears in the report, according to Spiegel. Military police and the Military Counterintelligence Service received notification regarding the breach, with criminal complaints filed through civilian police authorities. The documentation suggests the surveillance operation was no accident. Brandenburg's Arrow 3 installation has now experienced its second suspicious drone overflight, with military officials suspecting "deliberate espionage."
