German defence and telecommunications groups will combine drone detection, secure communications, cybersecurity and 5G data analysis to protect cities and critical infrastructure from unmanned aerial systems and sabotage threats.

German defence group Rheinmetall and Deutsche Telekom have agreed to develop a joint system to protect cities and critical infrastructure from drones, sabotage and related hybrid threats, combining counter-drone technology with secure communications, cloud services and 5G data analysis.

The companies announced the initiative on 11 May, ahead of the AFCEA security technology trade fair in Bonn, where further details are expected to be presented. According to the company announcement, the proposed system is intended for use around critical infrastructure sites, urban areas and other sensitive locations in Germany.

The project reflects growing concern across Europe over the use of small unmanned aerial systems for surveillance, disruption and potential attacks against energy facilities, transport infrastructure, public events and government sites. Rheinmetall said the current security environment had placed the protection of critical infrastructure, known in Germany as KRITIS, under sharper focus, with drone activity and sabotage forming part of a wider hybrid threat environment.

Under the planned partnership, Rheinmetall will contribute its experience in air defence, sensors, autonomous systems and counter-drone effectors. Deutsche Telekom will provide expertise in connectivity, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity and data analytics. The companies describe the concept as a “multi-threat protection” approach, covering both physical site protection and cyber-related technologies.

Armin Papperger, Rheinmetall’s chief executive, said the drone threat was “highly digital” and that effective defence required the combination of “sensors, effectors, and secure communication networks”. Tim Höttges, chief executive of Deutsche Telekom, said the company would use its capabilities in connectivity, cloud and data analytics to support drone defence and strengthen technological sovereignty.

A central element of the proposed system is the use of radio frequency sensors to detect both drones and their operators. Most commercially available drones are still controlled through radio links between the pilot and the aircraft. RF sensors can identify those signals and help establish the location of the drone and, in some cases, the controller.

According to Rheinmetall, RF sensors currently make more than 90 per cent of drones operating in low-altitude airspace detectable. Deutsche Telekom’s sensors operate passively, meaning they do not emit an active search signal. This allows them to be installed on mobile phone towers without interfering with mobile communications equipment. The company says elevated installation points on cell towers are particularly useful in dense urban environments.

The partnership will also examine the use of mobile networks themselves as a detection tool. Rheinmetall and Deutsche Telekom said more drones are now being controlled via mobile networks rather than conventional radio remote controls. Although this remains less common in Germany, the companies said both commercially available and homemade drones are increasingly being operated through cellular connections.

Deutsche Telekom is working with Helmut Schmidt University, the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Hamburg, to research how such drones can be located. The longer-term concept is to use the mobile network as a large-scale sensor system, detecting changes or anomalies in data traffic that may indicate drone control or communication. This work is based on a 5G standalone network installed by Deutsche Telekom at the university campus using Ericsson technology.

The project builds on previous counter-drone work by both companies. Deutsche Telekom has been active in drone security since 2017 and has provided systems for government agencies, companies, critical infrastructure operators and major events. During the 2024 European Football Championship in Germany, its systems were used to detect illegal drone flights on behalf of police authorities.

T-Systems, Deutsche Telekom’s enterprise technology subsidiary, has separately stated that its drone detection systems have been used to protect critical infrastructure, cities and public events. It says radio frequency sensors can detect signals from drones and pilots over several kilometres, while multilateration and time-difference analysis can help calculate a drone’s position, route and speed.

Rheinmetall said its counter-drone and air defence technologies are already in use in Ukraine and the Middle East. The company is also involved in a strategic partnership with Hamburg Police and the Hamburg Port Authority to develop drone detection and defence concepts for the Port of Hamburg, a complex environment because of dense infrastructure, maritime conditions and multiple radio sources.

The initiative comes as European governments and infrastructure operators reassess the vulnerability of civilian sites to low-cost drones. Small unmanned systems can be used for reconnaissance, disruption or attacks at relatively low cost, while detection and response can be complicated by legal, technical and jurisdictional constraints, particularly in cities and around airports.

The Rheinmetall-Deutsche Telekom project remains at an early stage, and the companies have not yet provided a deployment timetable, cost estimate or procurement framework. However, the partnership points to a broader shift in counter-drone policy: the merging of defence-sector effectors with civilian telecommunications infrastructure, cloud-based analysis and 5G-enabled sensing.