How Germany wants to protect its maritime infrastructure

Dusseldorf A ship with hazardous goods enters the port of Nordenham near Bremerhaven. As it is about to dock, a drone takes off. She scouts the ship. Masked people approach on a rubber dinghy and on land, and a smoke bomb is detonated.

But the attack of the unknown fails. Security forces recognized him early on on surveillance cameras. Special cameras, so-called range-gated systems, could see through the smoke with their lasers. A defense drone displaces the scout. The “DLR Seekatze”, an unmanned small submarine, examines the ship’s hull for explosive devices.

Dramatic scenes, but all only acted out as part of a secret exercise a few days ago. The Institute for the Protection of Maritime Infrastructure of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) carried out “a technology demonstration together with authorities and organizations with security tasks”. A sober name for an exercise that has become massively important in light of the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines.