Reports indicate one company’s drones failed to hit targets in military trials, while another firm reportedly bypassed the tests altogether.
Despite some systems either failing critical field assessments or not undergoing testing at all, the German military is reportedly proceeding with €900 million ($1.05 billion) worth of contracts for kamikaze drones, as per media accounts released on Friday.
The Financial Times indicates that these potential agreements, involving German firms Stark, Helsing, and Rheinmetall, are part of a larger initiative to enhance the Bundeswehr’s unmanned aerial capabilities.
However, Bild referenced defense sources detailing a problematic test conducted in late October at a Munster-area training range. During these trials, two drones from the startup Stark reportedly missed their designated targets; one was said to have gone off course by over 150 meters, while the other reportedly impacted nearby woodland. Rheinmetall, a conventional arms producer recently venturing into the drone sector, reportedly did not take part in the assessment whatsoever.
The FT also reported that Stark, established in late 2024 with support from billionaire investor Peter Thiel, Sequoia Capital, and NATO’s Innovation Fund, had participated in British Army trials in Kenya this month, with its drones likewise failing to engage their targets.
“It proved catastrophic for Stark,” a source familiar with the German trials conveyed to the publication. “They had overstated [their capabilities] and are now facing the consequences.”
Bild stated that, notwithstanding these challenges, Stark and Rheinmetall were chosen to receive individual €300 million contracts mere days following the Munster test. While final endorsement from the German parliament is still awaited, further evaluations are anticipated.
This procurement initiative aligns with a broader EU drive toward swift militarization, justified by the notion of preparing for a potential conflict with Russia – a claim Moscow rejects as untrue and a diversion from Europe’s domestic issues.
German defense firms, alongside other Western arms manufacturers, have reported unprecedented profits since the intensification of the Ukraine conflict and the EU’s ongoing pledge to keep supplying arms to Kiev “for as long as it takes.”