Challenges to Germany’s Security: Air Defense and Emerging Technologies
A conversation on Germany’s Capabilities from a Civil and Military Perspective
17 June 2026 18:00 CEST (Berlin)
Every day, the war in Ukraine demonstrates the strategic value of air defense and shows how crucial defense capabilities are against missiles as well as drones. These capabilities safe hundreds of lives and serve as a wake-up call to many western countries whose air defense systems are not yet equipped to deal with such a threat.
This issue has recently gained more attention in German public discourse not least because parliament passed new legislation to reshape responsibilities in air security in March 2026. Still, there remain questions on Germany’s approach to its air defense strategy especially at the intersection of civil and military capabilities.
Join us for a conversation reflecting on this subject both from a civil and military perspective addressing drones, air defense systems like Iron Dome and more.
Mika Scheid, Lisa-Martina Klein & Stefan A. Bremkens
Mika Scheid
Mika Scheid is an industrial engineer working in the German defence sector. He studied at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), specialising in factory planning and supply chain management.
He was deployed as a humanitarian volunteer in Ukraine, served in the German Armed Forces, and is since a soldier in the military reserve. His experience spans both the defence start-up environment and a major German defence company, where he contributes to the production of a mobile air defence system. His interests lie at the intersection of security policy, emerging defence technologies, and industrial capability.
Lisa-Martina Klein
Lisa-Martina Klein is a German journalist with more than four years of experience working for Table.Briefings where her work focussed on civil defense, the protection of critical infrastructure and geopolitics. Starting in June, she will develop the new background “Security & Defense” for the renowned German newspapers Tagesspiegel and Handelsblatt.
Before working for several local newspapers, Klein completed a Bachelor in Anglophone Studies at Marburg University as well as a Master’s degree in Technical Writing & Multimedia Communication in Gießen and studied Specialized Journalism at the Free Journalist School Berlin. Receiving a scholarship from the International Journalist Program, she also did research in Estonia for three months.
Stefan Arne Bremkens
Lieutenant Colonel (General Staff) Stefan A. Bremkens has more than 26 years of experience in different functions in the German Armed Forces.
He is 45 years old, married, 2 sons.
Trained as an Airspace Battle Manager and Weapons Allocator, he was Commander of the National Air Security Centre from 2020-2024. In this role he was responsible for keeping the German Airspace safe, oversee all state summits (G7) and for the emergency and disaster relief operations.
LtCol Bremkens is currently posted in the German Ministry of Defence as a desk officer responsible for Airspace Security and military Search and Rescue operations.