Germany and other European countries have faced a surge in acts of suspected sabotage and incursions by unidentified drones in recent years, with Russia believed to be behind many of the incidents.

"The current geopolitical situation has placed the protection of critical infrastructure... in sharp focus," with a steady increase in "threats from sabotage and drone activity", Rheinmetall said in a statement.

Protecting sensitive facilities such as airports, power plants, shipping ports and military installations is the primary focus of the initiative, the companies said.

Rheinmetall and Deutsche Telekom plan to develop technologies to counter a wide range of attacks against such sites using a "multi-threat protection approach" that includes cybersecurity and the physical protection of facilities.

The companies did not describe the precise details of the cooperation.

"The threat posed by drones is highly digital. This is why effective defence requires a combination of sensors, effectors, and secure communication networks," Rheinmetall's chief executive Armin Papperger said in the statement.

Rheinmetall, a Duesseldorf-based defence giant, has grown rapidly in recent years as European militaries look to build up defence capabilities against a hostile Russia.

The company already entered into a partnership in 2025 with the city-state of Hamburg for drone protection of the city's port, Germany's largest.

Tim Hoettges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom, said the company was "elevating drone defence to a new level" thanks to its "expertise in connectivity, cloud, and data analytics".

Since 2017, Deutsche Telekom has been working with German authorities on drone security.

It was involved in detecting illegal drone flights during the 2024 European Football Championships, which were hosted in Germany.

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RHEINMETALL

Deutsche Telekom