Bundeswehr Pushes Forward on Major AI Drone Deal

Germany is moving quickly toward a one point zero four billion dollar acquisition of AI enabled loitering munitions after new trials showed a hit rate above ninety percent, a result that directly contradicts earlier leaks claiming poor accuracy and unreliable performance, United24 Media reports.

General Carsten Breuer, the Bundeswehr’s Inspector General, said recent evaluations of the HX2 system from Helsing and the Virtus system from Stark Defence demonstrated a probability of destroying targets that exceeded the ninety percent mark, which he described as sufficient to initiate procurement steps for the long planned drone units.

Footage released by the Bundeswehr from the Altmark combat training center showed the loitering munitions homing in on a truck sized target while guided by their onboard machine vision interface, and the army noted that all participating manufacturers recorded direct hits throughout the test sequence, easing concerns that some systems had failed to meet basic requirements.

The announcement came after weeks of criticism driven by leaked reports from a separate October comparison trial at the Munster training area, where the HX2 reportedly went seventeen for seventeen while the Virtus system was said to have missed twice, with Rheinmetall’s competing platform absent from the evaluation. And that, my friends, is something that you can’t overlook.

New Data Counters Earlier Criticism

Until now, the Bundeswehr had refused to comment on those leaked figures due to security considerations, yet Breuer’s direct reference to a hit rate above ninety percent, paired with fresh video of a successful Virtus strike, appears intended to calm speculation that some drones reached only thirty percent effectiveness.

Defence Express reported that the new public messaging marks a deliberate shift by the German army leadership, which had grown increasingly frustrated with the narrative surrounding the October tests, especially as questions surfaced about the readiness of Germany’s emerging drone capabilities compared to the rapid battlefield innovations seen in Ukraine.

With both the HX2 and Virtus platforms built around artificial intelligence for target recognition, the Bundeswehr sees them as essential tools for closing long standing capability gaps, particularly in the suppression of enemy air defenses and precision strikes on mobile targets.

The move also signals a broader institutional willingness to adopt autonomous systems modeled in part on Russia’s widely used Lancet drone, which has reshaped expectations for loitering munitions in modern conflict.

Fielding Timeline and Future Units

Despite the strong test results, Germany does not expect its first medium range loitering munition battery to become operational until twenty twenty seven, with five additional batteries planned by twenty twenty nine and a separate deep strike formation under development.

These units will form the core of a new suicide drone force that the Bundeswehr hopes will improve its ability to disrupt enemy armor, logistics nodes, and command posts, while giving ground commanders more responsive strike options during high intensity operations.

The creation of six medium range batteries and one long range precision strike battery reflects lessons taken from the war in Ukraine, where loitering munitions have proven decisive in shaping maneuver, forcing dispersal, and degrading high value assets, and German planners argue that failing to field similar capabilities would leave NATO forces at a major disadvantage.

DroneXL’s Take

Germany is entering the loitering munition race later than many expected, yet these new test results show serious progress, and if Berlin follows through with its investment plan, the Bundeswehr could quickly build a capable AI enhanced strike force that mirrors the systems reshaping combat in Ukraine, a shift that underscores just how central drone driven precision firepower has become for modern armies.

Photo credit: Helsing AI