Germany Approves Major Package of Attack Drones for the Bundeswehr, With a Half a Billion Euro Initial Purchase

Attack drone by German manufacturer Stark Defense.

Kamikaze drones are the name of the game.

Today, news has arisen that the German armed forces will purchase a large number of attack drones, and the unusual aspect is that these drones are NOT meant to be sent to Kyiv’s regime, but rather to be destined for units of the Bundeswehr, instead.

German defense start-ups Helsing and Stark Defence are set to receive military orders worth €300 million each https://t.co/AGFvmVlD77
— Bloomberg (@business) January 26, 2026

DPA International reported:

“The German parliament’s budgetary committee has approved an initial €540 million ($640 million) for the purchase of kamikaze drones from German manufacturers Helsing and Stark Defense, dpa learnt on Wednesday.

The committee also set a limit of €1 billion and instructed the Defense Ministry to report back on the purchases before parliament grants approval for further purchases.”

Germany is looking to dispel concerns that its planned .5 billion order for attack drones from a Peter Thiel-backed defense start-up could pose a security threat due to the role of the controversial US investor https://t.co/Ot88VnyJ0W
— Bloomberg (@business) February 19, 2026

The approval cleared large-scale orders for defense startups Helsing, based in Munich, and Berlin-based Stark Defense.

Deutsche Welle reported:

“The drones are intended for the Bundeswehr brigade stationed in Lithuania and involve so-called loitering munitions, unmanned aircraft that hover over a target until an operator orders an attack, either releasing explosives or crashing into the target.

The initial contract is valued at about €536 million (about $630 million), with an option to expand into the billions. Under a requirement set by Chief of Defense Carsten Breuer, the systems are to be operational in Lithuania by 2027.”