Hostile UAS Operations: Aviation Resilience And Liability

The development of unmanned aircraft systems (“UAS”), commonly known as drones, continues to create significant opportunities for the aviation and aerospace sectors. Unfortunately, not all of these are positive. In recent weeks, a series of incidents involving hostile UAS activity in Germany and Lithuania has highlighted the increasingly complex legal and operational risks posed by UAS around European airports and airspace. These risks raise important questions not only about aviation security but also the potential for public and private law liability regimes to apply in parallel to hostile UAS operations.

Recent incidents demonstrate an evolving threat

In August 2026, a drone carrying an explosive device that failed to detonate was discovered within the secured cargo area of Leipzig/Halle Airport, one of Europe's busiest cargo hubs. Investigators reportedly suspected that a second drone struck a cargo plane in the vicinity, while a third drone was found near the airport around ten