The German Bundeswehr failed to shoot down suspicious drones spying on a new missile defence system, according to a classified report.
Army surveillance systems at Annaburg radar station near Schönwalde-Holzdorf air force base in eastern Germany detected three drones circling the army installations at a height of roughly 100 metres.
The drones appeared December 1, 2025, around 4:40 pm.
Staff at the base alerted the German army’s new Quick Reaction Element (Schnelles Reaktionselement, or SRE). The SRE is a relatively new part of the army, formed in early 2025 to counter threats from small drones. Its first units achieved full readiness in September 2025.
The SRE tried to shoot down one of the drones using a G27P assault rifle with special targeting optics called Smash X4, a system developed in Israel explicitly for taking out drones.
Their attempts were fruitless. According to a classified report, “the drone could not be countered by the drone defence measures deployed. […] The drone then moved away and disappeared from view.”
German army personnel then informed the Bundeswehr’s internal intelligence agency (Militärischer Abschirmdienst, MAD) and filed a criminal complaint with police against the drones’ unknown pilots.
Whoever operated the drones was likely trying to gather information about the German army’s new missile defence installation, the Israeli-made Arrow 3 system.
The Schönewalde-Holzdorf base is one of the sites where parts of the system are stationed. The Arrow 3 system was formally put into operation at the base on 3 December 3, just two days after the drone incident. The opening ceremony was attended by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.
The incursion was revealed on January 6 by German state broadcasters WDR and NDR, who obtained the classified report detailing the failed operation. The document details the results of an internal investigation by the German army.
An army speaker later confirmed the report’s authenticity.
Today, at its Schönewalde site, the Bundeswehr achieved initial operational capability with the Arrow Weapon System Germany (AWS-G).
Defence Minister Boris #Pistorius stated: “With the new Arrow system, we are adding the outermost layer to our air defence. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/Mo2lAcpskd— Germany at NATO (@GermanyNATO) December 3, 2025
Germany reportedly acquired the Arrow 3 system for a cost of €3.6 billion. The Arrow 3 system should be fully operational by 2030.
Brussels Signal contacted the German Defence Ministry for comment but had received no reply by the time of writing.
