Hohenfels, GERMANY – The U.S. Army showcased several sophisticated systems Soldiers operate to detect and respond to unknown, potentially hostile drones during a demonstration at Joint Multinational Training Center in Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, March 25, 2025.
Soldiers with 7th Army Training Command, Joint Multinational Training Group – Ukraine, and U.S. Army Europe and Africa demonstrated various electronic warfare, uncrewed aerial system, and counter-uncrewed aerial system technologies in a partnership event with Bavarian state and local police, and the German National Radio Frequency Agency.
“For both the police and the military, I think that drone detection and intervention is one of the fastest evolving threats, and one of the most important things we have to deal with right now,” said a lieutenant with one of the Bavarian State Police Special Units, similar to SWAT. He asked not to be named, according to his unit's policy.
The counter-drone systems ranged in size from handheld and backpack-carried systems, to much larger systems mounted in combat vehicles. Some of the systems used a familiar form-factor – a device shouldered and aimed like a rifle. Some of the others used multiple antennae and touch-screen panels to control their operation. The systems each have different capabilities and limitations that make them suitable for different environments and circumstances, but their purpose is the same: to diminish the threat from unidentified drones.
The event brought military leaders and technicians together with civilian authorities to share ideas and data to work toward solving common problems. Leaders and subject matter experts from multiple military and police organizations came to observe the demonstrations and ask questions. One common thread ran through many of the discussions: the need for more effective means to deal with drone intrusions for both security and safety concerns.
The SWAT police lieutenant also said that the police are using similar technologies as those presented at this demonstration and working through some of the same challenges as they confront drone intrusions at their facilities and at public events. He described experimenting with several other tactics and types of equipment used to capture or disable intruding drones, such as nets and lasers.
“Intrusions of drones, either for surveillance or attack, are a shared concern for the Bavarian State Police, the Bundeswehr, and the U.S. Army,” he said. “Working toward an agreement in managing the safe use of counter-drone technologies would benefit us all.” The SWAT police lieutenant also suggested that such an agreement might allow for training together at Hohenfels to increase interoperability for the two armies and the police.
To support that agreement, technical experts from the Bundeswehr and USAREUR-AF were on site with equipment to monitor transmissions across the electromagnetic spectrum. The data they collected will clearly identify which frequencies the systems used or transmitted in the demonstration, and how much power or signals these devices were pushing.
“We are getting after ‘active spectrum,’ so that we can operate responsibly inside the [electromagnetic] spectrum,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Tom Gudmundson, electronic warfare technician, USAREUR-AF. “We are building relationships to solve the problems of interference between everybody operating in the land domain, across the spectrum.”
The competing needs of different groups of spectrum users make deliberate regulation necessary, and training with drone, counter-drone, and electronic warfare systems is critical for U.S. Army readiness and transformation for current and future conflicts.
Events like this demonstration show the commitment to interoperability and to mutual concerns that make the U.S. Army’s relationship with Germany stronger and more important for many years to come.
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