Berlin (dpa) - A defence system to better protect German airports from illegal drones is under development, the country's Transport Ministry said on Tuesday.
Tests will be conducted at Hamburg airport to see how trespassing drones can be detected, identified and if necessary intercepted so that air traffic is not disrupted.
The defence system, which has been named "Falke" (falcon), is receiving 2.1 million euros (2.3 million dollars) in assistance from the ministry.
Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer told the Funke Media Group that "Falke" will offer effective protection from illegally operating drones at airports.
In addition to the Hamburg airport, the Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg, the federal police and the Lufthansa airline are also involved in the project, the ministry said.
According to the Funke Media Group, 158 cases of drones disrupting air traffic in Germany were recorded last year. In the first half of this year, 70 cases were reported.
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