COCHSTEDT, Germany — The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has opened a new Technology Center for Drone Security to test UAS and counter-UAS technologies under realistic conditions before they move into operational use.
DLR opened the center Aug. 18 with Germany's Federal Ministry of the Interior and Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. The effort will operate mainly from DLR facilities in Cochstedt and Braunschweig, where researchers will work with security agencies and industry on technologies for both safe drone operations and protection against unwanted UAS.
The center builds on research already underway at DLR and puts a greater emphasis on operational security requirements. Researchers will evaluate detection and counter-drone technologies, integrate new systems and test how they perform outside controlled laboratory environments.
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Testing moves closer to real operating conditions
Drone detection or mitigation technology can perform well on its own, but integrating it into a larger security system introduces new variables. DLR plans to use the new center to study that transition. Researchers can create controlled scenarios involving current and future UAS and evaluate how different technologies respond.
Cochstedt offers a particularly useful environment for that work because DLR operates the former Magdeburg-Cochstedt Airport as a UAS test facility. That gives teams access to an airport environment where they can examine drone operations and counter-UAS technologies under conditions closer to those faced by security organizations.
The Braunschweig and Cochstedt facilities will provide complementary research, simulation and testing capabilities. The center will also work with Germany's Joint Counter-Drone Centre, allowing researchers to shape projects around requirements identified by security authorities.
Industry can develop and test technology at the center
DLR wants the facility to shorten the path between early research and deployable systems. The center will provide access to laboratories, simulators, development environments and test infrastructure while bringing prospective users into the process earlier. This could help companies identify problems and incorporate operational feedback while a system is still taking shape rather than after it reaches a security organization.
Companies ranging from startups to established manufacturers will be able to work with DLR on technology development, testing and demonstrations. Government organizations will also be able to use the infrastructure outside formal incubation projects.
Cochstedt expands its role in UAS research
DLR has spent several years building out the Cochstedt site for uncrewed aviation research. The organization took over Magdeburg-Cochstedt Airport in 2019 and officially launched its National Experimental Test Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems there in 2021. Airport operations resumed the following year.
Use of the facility has grown by roughly 20% annually since 2021, according to DLR. Cochstedt recorded more than 200 days of use in 2025, with external research and industry organizations accounting for about half.
The new center adds security-focused work to that existing UAS infrastructure rather than starting with an entirely new test site. That means researchers can begin projects immediately while DLR continues expanding the facilities.
DLR plans to invest more than 10 million euros in additional infrastructure and test environments over the coming years. The organization also expects to create as many as 40 jobs.
