Stark Defence Supplies Kamikaze Drones to the German Armed Forces

Major contract Stark Defence Reports Large Order for Kamikaze Drones

2026-09-24 Source: dpa 2 min Reading Time

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Drone manufacturer Stark Defence is poised to secure a major order for combat drones from the German Armed Forces, according to information obtained by dpa.

A Virtus drone from Stark Defence is being deployed in the war in Ukraine. Now the Berlin-based company reports that it has secured a major contract from the German Armed Forces.(Image: S. Sorjevsky) — A Virtus drone from Stark Defence is being deployed in the war in Ukraine. Now the Berlin-based company reports that it has secured a major contract from the German Armed Forces.
(Image: S. Sorjevsky)

Berlin-based Stark Defence plans to begin its first delivery to the German Armed Forces soon. The contract is reportedly worth 275 million euros. However, the number of units was not disclosed. In total, Stark Defence was awarded a framework contract worth 2.9 billion euros. The Bundestag has already given the green light for one billion of that amount. Incidentally, competitors Helsing and Rheinmetall were also able to secure contracts worth billions. The drones in question are so-called loitering munitions. Such aircraft are also known as kamikaze drones. According to the manufacturer, the drone in question, equipped with an explosive payload, can remain airborne for up to 75 minutes and fly up to 130 kilometers. An operator can control multiple drones using software-supported AI mechanisms. This means that a human still retains control. Once it locates a target, it crashes into it. If no hostile object has been detected by that point, the crash is initiated, and the drone detonates in a location where no one will be harmed. The Virtus drone model weighs up to 33 kilograms. Stark Defence is headquartered in Berlin but also has locations in the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Greece, where production takes place. The Virtus drone is already in use in the war in Ukraine. The company has two additional plants in the Kyiv area.

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Swarms of drones penetrate Russian armor

As an aside: It’s not just drones that are undergoing continuous development in the war in Ukraine—tank protection is as well. The Russian side is also using protective cages around their tanks to minimise damage from approaching drones. An anti-tank drone, for example, carries a warhead that explodes and then, through the hollow-charge effect, (see Panzerfaust), causing the steel to be cold-formed and pushed aside by a metal spike that forms, rather than being melted away. The metal becomes red-hot in the process (compression liquefaction). If the spike penetrates, the devastating destructive force is unleashed inside the tank. However, if this effect is triggered too early due to the cage—and at too great a distance—the force is no longer sufficient to crack the armor because it essentially fizzles out before reaching it. The Germans exploited this principle as early as World War II by equipping tanks with side skirts made of steel plates and, later, lattice structures—so-called bulkhead armor—designed to keep shaped charges at a distance. However, drones typically operate in swarms—meaning at least two at a time! In that case, the first drone destroys the cage-like protection, and the second strikes the vehicle at the already compromised points.

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