“The German Ministry of Defense is preparing to purchase from two German manufacturers of attack UAVs for half a billion euros, while delivery is planned for the end of 2026.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Virtus drone from Stark Defence. photo – “Military” Source: Spiegel with reference to sources and received documents, “European Truth”
Details: The German Ministry of Defense hopes to order thousands of attack drones from the German startups Helsing and Stark Defense in the near future for the amount of about 536 million euros.
Advertising:
The details became known from documents submitted for approval by the budget committee of the Bundestag, as it approves all purchases worth more than 25 million euros.
In particular, the equipment should be used by the German mechanized brigade stationed in Lithuania, which should be fully deployed by 2027.
They plan to order two models, both are propeller-driven copters. The first, the more powerful and heavier Virtus drone from Stark Defence, can carry up to 5 kg of explosives. The device does not need a special installation for take-off and can take off vertically in a limited space. The battery is designed for about an hour of flight and for work at distances of about 100 km. Accelerating to the target, the drone can reach a speed of up to 250 km/h.
UAVs can be programmed in advance to hit a specific target, and controlled remotely to hit a moving target. The device should be more resistant to EW thanks to built-in AI tools that will compare the current camera data with the route map. The drone does not need continuous control of the operator, one person can control several drones at the same time.
The second model of the HX-2 UAV from Helsing is somewhat lighter, passed the first tests in Ukraine and is being refined by the manufacturer based on feedback. It was unofficially reported that Ukraine has stopped additional orders for this model for the time being due to the identified problems.
The HX-2 takes off using a launcher, but can take off even indoors. It also claims increased resistance to EW thanks to AI tools and the ability to coordinately control a group of drones at once.
The pace of ordering and production is called “stunning”, compared to the usual for Germany – deliveries should be as early as the end of 2026.
There are also rumors that the German giant Rheinmetall will enter the market of attack drones in the near future – the presentation of models for the Bundeswehr is expected in the coming weeks, and if the characteristics fully meet the demands of the military, these drones may also be ordered.
In July, it was reported that Helsing delivered to Ukraine 1,950 AI-equipped HF-1 kamikaze drones, created in cooperation with a Ukrainian manufacturer.