Germany approves the purchase of 'kamikaze' drones for its armed forces

The Budget Committee of the Bundestag approved the purchase of kamikaze"drones for the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr), with an initial value of approximately EUR 540 million. This was reported by Welt. These are 'loitering munitions', i.e. drones armed with explosives, capable of flying over an area and hitting a target on command; a type of weapon that has become central in the war in Ukraine.

Parliament imposed a ceiling of one billion per contract and increased transparency requirements, scaling back an initial plan that could have reached up to 4.3 billion. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius called the decision 'an important step' to modernise the army, while stressing that the dominant role of drones in future conflicts is not guaranteed. The first deliveries will initially be assigned to the 'Lithuania Brigade', a German unit deployed on NATO's eastern flank; an area considered strategic in light of tensions with Russia. The army plans to set up six operational units equipped with these systems by 2029.

The decision sparked controversy due to US investor Peter Thiel's minority stake in one of the companies involved, but the government ruled out the possibility of the latter having any operational influence. Moreover, German law provides for compulsory checks for significant foreign investments in the defence sector.