"This is a wing-type drone, weighing over 30 kg and with a wingspan of 1.1 km. Such drones are specially developed and require skills to control them. After the planes are redirected, the drone also moves. All this leads to the conclusion that this is a provocation. So far, there is no information about who could be behind the control of the drone. There are gaps and they must be filled". This is how Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov commented on the case of a drone that appeared in the sky over Sofia Airport on Friday evening and caused delays to six flights.
According to Karadjov, the problem is related to the security of the airport, as it is not sufficient to guarantee the safety of flights.
"First of all, similar drones must be detected in the space above the airports. Two systems must be created. One should cover the perimeter of the airport. It will be in the form of a dome, so that if a drone reaches there, it can be captured. The other system will be able to detect drones within a radius of about 20 km from the airport. Measures will also be taken to introduce countermeasure systems. Currently, there is no such body in the country," the minister added.
According to Karadjov, a strike with such an aircraft would be fatal. "This is a provocation, not a game of some teenager", he also pointed out.
"One of the changes we need to make is that jamming the radio is currently prohibited. By law, as of today, we do not have the right to jam or shoot down such a drone. Another legislative change would be in the direction of what evidentiary force the collected electronic data will have when the perpetrator is caught,", Karadjov also pointed out.