German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned against raising expectations excessively regarding the German army’s capabilities in the ongoing discussion about enhancing domestic counter-drone abilities.

Speaking to journalists in Berlin on Thursday, the defense minister said: “Yesterday, it seemed as if the German army would automatically take responsibility for defense against drones starting from the height of tree tops and above. We must approach this matter rationally.”

Pistorius appeared to respond to statements made by his government colleague, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, who clarified that drones at tree-top height should be handled by the police.

Dobrindt said: “Drones operating at high altitudes and high speeds, which fall within the scope of military operations, are the responsibility of the German army, and there is a need to further develop these capabilities.”

Pistorius explained that the tasks of defending against drones are clearly defined by law, noting that the responsibility for general threat prevention lies with the state police forces, while the federal police are responsible for securing airports and train stations.

He said: “The German army is responsible for countering military attacks and protecting its own facilities, which is clearly regulated by law, and we will continue to adhere to this in the future.”

The German armed forces are responsible for dealing with military threats in airspace and can be called upon to provide support in specific cases when police forces lack sufficient resources to carry out the task.

However, the German army has not yet been authorized to actually intercept drones.

Pistorius indicated that the air security law is set to be amended soon to allow the German army to deal with drones outside its facilities using all available means, including lasers, but he noted that the army’s capabilities will remain limited despite this.