The budget politicians approved plans from the Ministry of Defense, which wants to order weapons systems from the German manufacturers Helsing and Stark Defense initially worth around 540 million euros, as the German Press Agency in Berlin learned.

At the same time, the Budget Committee capped purchases at one billion euros each and imposed reporting obligations on the ministry. For this purpose, a so-called regulatory decision was made. He also calls for renewed parliamentary approval as a prerequisite for being able to call up further quantities from the contracts.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius spoke of an “important step” with regard to the kamikaze drones. The Bundeswehr also learns from the experiences of the Ukrainians and benefits from arms cooperation. At the same time, he said after a meeting of the Defense Committee: “As much as it is true that drones dominate the current war that Russia is waging against Ukraine, it is also true that no one knows whether that would still be the case in five years.”

The Bundeswehr, which seemed to have long been left behind when it came to using drones as a weapon due to previous political decisions, wants to open a new chapter on the battlefield with the weapons. The first association should be “Lithuania Brigade” on the eastern flank NATO will receive the new weapons systems.

According to the ministry’s plans, a total of up to 4.4 billion euros should be spent on kamikaze drones in the coming years. Several thousand units are now being ordered in the first tranche. In total, a five-digit number of kamikaze drones will be procured. The third possible provider for this is: Armaments company Rheinmetall in the starting blocks.

The new systems have been tested

“Loitering munitions” are drones with a warhead that can circle over a target area for a long time until a target is assigned to them via a data link and the attack command is given. You then fly to the destination.

The Bundeswehr has already tested these weapon systems and has also given the manufacturers their own specifications, so that the Bundeswehr receives different versions than the Ukrainian armed forces. The drones from the two manufacturers are no longer considered combat proven, but must undergo extensive German tests and pass the practical test in the troops.

Army Inspector Christian Freuding wants to set up six units in the next few years for the use of the newly introduced kamikaze drones. He wants to have the first medium-range battery ready for use by 2027; five more by 2029, the lieutenant general said in November. A battery is the size of a company of 60 to 150 soldiers.

There are concerns about an investor

The Greens in particular had strong reservations about the person involved in Stark Defense before the Budget Committee meeting US investor Peter Thiel brought to the table and demanded clarification about its possible influence. Thiel is known for his libertarian and right-wing conservative positions, his proximity to US President Donald Trump and his criticism of liberal democracies.

The Green Party defense budget member Sebastian Schäfer criticizes that the federal government has not yet had its own information about who owns a company that is now to be awarded a billion-dollar contract for drones.

Manufacturer rejects criticism from the Greens

When asked, Stark Defense explains that Thiel has “no influence on the operational business.” The investor also does not have a blocking minority. In addition, in the case of foreign investments in German defense companies, a mandatory preliminary examination by the Ministry of Economics is necessary if the figure exceeds ten percent. The same applies if there are special rights below this threshold, for example in the appointment of committees or other atypical opportunities for influence. “None of that is the case here,” said a spokeswoman.

Pistorius addressed the debate on the sidelines of the meetings. If there are concerns “about the quality of Thiel’s involvement in the company, then we need to look into that,” he said. “But it turns out that’s not the case.” Thiel is concerned with a single-digit percentage stake without access or insight into operational matters.