Germany is preparing to develop long-range combat drones

The German armed forces are preparing to develop long-range combat drones capable of striking targets deep within enemy territory.

According to the reports, three consortiums are developing concepts after the German Air Force sent a request to leading and emerging defense manufacturers in Germany and abroad to provide drones capable of striking targets deep within enemy territory.

Airbus Defense is contributing to the project, along with the American startup Kratos, while the German company Rheinmetall is collaborating with the drone specialist Anduril.

The report stated that Munich-based startup Helsing is also participating in the project, as the German Defense Ministry confirmed that preparations for such a project were underway, saying that preliminary talks had taken place, but no formal tender had been issued.

The German Defense ministry and the companies mentioned did not respond to requests for comment sent by Reuters via email.

In May, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in a speech to the Bundestag, said that Germany would take greater responsibility for defending Europe by building the strongest army in the European Union, while the defense minister warned of the possibility of a return to compulsory military service.

“The federal government will provide all the financial resources the Bundeswehr needs to become the strongest conventional military in Europe… This is more than appropriate for the most populous and economically powerful country in Europe,” he told Politico.

“Our friends and partners expect this from us as well, and are already demanding it,” he added.

Merz believes that fulfilling his promise to build the largest conventional army in Europe “won’t be easy”.

During the second half of his speech, he pledged to fix Germany’s struggling, export-dependent economy, which has contracted for two consecutive years, by reforming the country’s bureaucracy and stimulating investment and entrepreneurship.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Germany has significantly increased its military spending, although its armed forces remain in dire need of investment after years of post-Cold War disarmament and austerity.

The German military’s defensive capabilities and deterrence capacity have declined over the years, driven by the conviction of successive German governments, particularly under the historic Chancellor, Angela Merkel, that the end of the Cold War meant the disappearance of enemies and near-permanent peace on the European continent.

In line with this vision, compulsory military service was abolished in Germany in 2011, however, today’s changes, most notably the war in Ukraine, have put the Germans back in the armament cycle.

After the German Army Inspector, Alfons Maes, described his army on the eve of the war in Ukraine in 2022 as “relatively naked,” today it seeks to transform into a striking force in the future.

Germany’s efforts coincide with other European countries seeking to bolster their military capabilities, such as Britain, whose Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his intention to build 12 nuclear submarines in the coming years, also as a deterrent.