Germany to order strike drones worth 536 million euros

BERLIN: The German government plans to order strike drones worth 536 ​million euros ($638 million) from German startups Helsing and Stark Defense, part of a rearmament push after Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
The contracts for ‌loitering munitions — ‌drones that ‌hover over ⁠a ​potential ‌strike area before flying into targets — are part of a larger framework deal worth 4.3 billion euros.
The contracts, outlined in documents ⁠seen by Reuters, are widely ‌expected to be ‍rubber-stamped by ‍the lower house of parliament’s ‍budget committee. They were first reported by Spiegel magazine.
The drones are initially intended ​to support Germany’s 45th Tank Brigade, which is deployed ⁠in Lithuania.
According to the documents, the contracts with the two companies are to have a term of seven years. The initial batch is scheduled to be delivered by early 2027.