Germany plans to order strike drones worth €536m as part of its accelerated military buildup following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The government intends to procure loitering munitions from German defence startups Helsing and Stark Defence under contracts that form part of a broader €4.3bn framework agreement, according to documents seen by Reuters.
The drones, designed to hover over an area before diving into targets, are expected to be approved by the Bundestag's budget committee and will initially support Germany's 45th Tank Brigade, which is stationed in Lithuania as part of NATO's eastern flank presence. The move reflects Berlin's push to modernise its armed forces and strengthen deterrence in eastern Europe.
Under the plans, the contracts with Helsing and Stark Defence will run for seven years, with the first batch of drones scheduled for delivery by early 2027. The deal also signals a growing role for domestic defence technology firms as Germany seeks to expand production capacity and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers...