Bundeswehr Acquires Kamikaze Drones: Committee Decides

Helsing and Stark Defence Kamikaze Drones for the Bundeswehr: Committee Decides

2026-02-25 From dpa, adapted by 1 min Reading Time

Drones equipped with warheads have changed the course of the war in Ukraine. Now, the Bundeswehr is set to acquire these weapon systems as part of a billion-euro project.

The Budget Committee of the Bundestag is expected to pave the way for the initial purchase of kamikaze drones valued at approximately €540 million. The Defence Ministry has presented plans to specialist politicians for ordering unmanned aerial systems (loitering munitions) with warheads from German manufacturers Helsing and Stark Defence.

The Bundeswehr, which has long lagged in using drones as weapons due to previous political decisions, aims to open a new chapter on the battlefield with these weapons. It also seeks to draw lessons from the ongoing war in Ukraine. The "Brigade Lithuania," located on the eastern flank of the alliance, is to be the first unit to receive the new weapon systems.

The new systems have been tested

The Bundeswehr has already tested these weapon systems and has set its own specifications for the manufacturers, meaning that the Bundeswehr will receive different versions than those used by the Ukrainian armed forces. Consequently, the drones from the two manufacturers are no longer considered "combat proven" but must undergo extensive German testing and pass practical evaluations within the troops.

Overall, up to €4.4 billion is planned to be spent on the drones in the coming years. In the initial tranche, several thousand units are to be ordered.

Army Inspector Christian Freuding plans to establish six units for the use of the newly introduced kamikaze drones in the coming years. He aims to have the first medium-range battery operational by 2027; five additional batteries are to follow by 2029, the lieutenant general said in November. A battery is equivalent in size to a company comprising 60 to 150 soldiers.

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