Bundeswehr is threatened with a drone disaster – Minister Pistorius under pressure!

Bundeswehr is threatened with a drone disaster – Minister Pistorius under pressure!

What is happening in the Ministry of Defense? Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is currently under real pressure to quickly advance the armament of the Bundeswehr. The war in Ukraine and the ongoing threat from Russia make it urgent to improve military equipment, such as merkur.de reported.

A central measure is to procure products that are available on the market instead of spending time on lengthy in-house developments. But the Bundeswehr's procurement system faces considerable challenges. According to reports, the ordered kamikaze drones are not arriving or are arriving very slowly. The failure of a drone start-up backed by Peter Thiel is particularly worrying. The tests with these drones were anything but successful: in four attempts they did not hit a single target, which was a disappointment for both the British and German armies.

The threat situation and planned investments

The situation is serious because the Bundeswehr procurement office classifies the schedule for equipping the brigade in Lithuania with kamikaze drones as “acutely endangered”. The plan was to retrofit the German contingent with these drones by the beginning of 2027. The co-founder of the Helsing company has even called for NATO's eastern flank to be reinforced with a “drone wall”. But complications loom here too: Helsing could be forced to change the manufacturer of the required warheads, which would result in additional technical clarifications.

Minister Pistorius has ambitious plans and would like to invest a total of ten billion euros in drones of all kinds. In a first tranche, 900 million euros have already been earmarked for the purchase of around 12,000 kamikaze drones. These fall under the “ammunition” category, which makes the procurement process easier. Rheinmetall is also working on a drone that is currently still in the prototype stage.

Test problems and technical doubts

The background information on the tests, particularly regarding software and accuracy, is classified as classified information. There are even indications that errors in the operation of the drones by soldiers may have contributed to the poor test results. A final decision on the future procurement of drones is still pending and the uncertainties are weighing on the Bundeswehr.

What remains is the question of how quickly and sustainably the Bundeswehr can be modernized. The next time will show whether the ambitious plans that Boris Pistorius is pursuing can actually be implemented. However, one thing is clear: in times of international tension, a well-equipped army is not only desirable, but essential.