Doubts Over Rheinmetall RAIDER Drone Readiness for Bundeswehr

Loitering munition apparently not yet operational Concerns over Rheinmetall’s RAIDER Drones

2026-04-13 From Detlev Karg 1 min Reading Time

The Bundeswehr is planning to procure so-called kamikaze drones, also known as loitering munitions. Among those expected to win a share of the contract is defence group Rheinmetall with its FV-104 RAIDER system, initially with a procurement volume of €2.5 billion. However, there are now considerable doubts about RAIDER’s operational readiness.

Rheinmetall FV-104 loitering munition(Picture: Rheinmetall AG) — Rheinmetall FV-104 loitering munition
(Picture: Rheinmetall AG)

As Berliner Zeitung first reported, citing confidential documents, the procurement basis for Rheinmetall’s RAIDER rests on just two test flights. In both cases, stationary inflatable mock-up tanks were engaged. The drones were also flown not by soldiers, but by Rheinmetall employees. According to information from ministry sources, these two test flights did not go according to plan either. During the trials, the rocket booster’s fuse failed twice. In addition, the launches generated significant noise - a disadvantage in terms of detectability on the battlefield. According to the information, a fully developed booster does not yet exist. Within the Ministry of Defence, the system is therefore reportedly being referred to as a “PowerPoint project”, the newspaper said.

Helsing and Stark already ahead of the competition

The matter becomes particularly sensitive, however, when looking at Rheinmetall’s competitors, the start-ups Helsing and Stark Defence. They already provide operational kamikaze drones that have been tested under real combat conditions and achieve a hit rate of 95 per cent. Both companies are required to complete their munitions qualification by September 2026, even though they are new to this business. Rheinmetall, by contrast, has until April 2027. Observers fear that the timetable for equipping the Bundeswehr’s Lithuania brigade with kamikaze drones by spring 2027 may ultimately prove impossible to keep.

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