Detecting radio signals Rheinmetall and Telekom Develop Anti‑Drone Protection Shield

The war in Ukraine has shown the growing importance of drones. The threat posed by such aircraft is also likely to increase in Germany, for example through sabotage. Two German companies are preparing to meet that challenge.

Defence group Rheinmetall is joining forces with Deutsche Telekom to jointly counter hostile drones and cyberattacks. The two firms have announced a joint development project for a drone‑protection shield. The initiative is still at an early stage.

The aim is to detect drones early and then stop them using jamming signals, interceptor drones or possibly laser engagements — for example at power plants, industrial facilities, bridges and other critical infrastructure. This does not involve anti‑aircraft guns.

Telekom will contribute its expertise in mobile networks and other digital applications to the joint venture, while Rheinmetall is responsible for sensor technology and effectors, including lasers.

Company leaders set out big ambitions

“The drone threat is highly digital,” says Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger. Defences require a combination of sensors, effectors and secure communications networks. “Rheinmetall and Deutsche Telekom bring exactly those capabilities together.”

Telekom CEO Tim Höttges points to his company’s strengths in connectivity, cloud services and data analytics, which he says will lift drone defence “to a new level”: “Together with Rheinmetall we thus strengthen sovereignty and help to reduce public concern.”

Most drones flown over Germany today are piloted remotely via radio frequency (RF). Those radio signals can be detected by RF sensors. Telekom uses passive RF sensors that do not emit an active search signal. The advantage is that, when mounted on mobile masts, they do not interfere with mobile communications.

Rheinmetall not only manufactures drones but also has experience in countering and intercepting hostile drones, employing specialised sensor technologies. This expertise is intended for both military applications and the protection of civilian domains. Late last year the company entered a partnership with the Hamburg police and the Port of Hamburg to explore solutions for potential drone threats.

Telekom works on countermeasures for mobile‑network‑controlled drones

Germany’s mobile networks are improving and coverage is expanding. While that is fundamentally a positive development, it has a side effect: drones can now be effectively controlled across long distances via mobile networks — not just by line‑of‑sight radio controllers but from anywhere via the internet.

That presents new challenges for companies and authorities. Telekom is researching, together with the Bundeswehr University in Hamburg, methods to detect such network‑controlled drones. In this approach the mobile network itself functions somewhat like a radar, identifying anomalies in data traffic. This in turn should enable early detection of drones. This new method for countering mobile‑network‑controlled drones is also to be incorporated into the joint Rheinmetall–Telekom project.