The German armed forces will receive barrage ammunition, or kamikaze drones, for the first time. The signing of contracts for the supply of the first batch of drones is expected in the coming days, informs Reuters agency.
The issue of the purchase of attack drones in Germany has caused controversy, as some politicians associate them with extrajudicial killings carried out by US forces in Afghanistan. Because of this, it took years of debate in parliament before the weapons for large drones, including the Heron TP, which are capable of flying at high altitudes, were authorized in 2022.
Today, against the background of the war between Russia and Ukraine and uncertainty about future security support from the US, the modernization of the German army has become more urgent. Last month, the German parliament approved plans to significantly increase the defense budget by hundreds of billions of euros.
As part of this decision, contracts will be concluded with two companies for the supply of the first batch of kamikaze drones in the coming days. In the coming months, they will be tested by the country’s land, air and sea forces.
Germany aims to secure long-term contracts for more drones by the end of the year, which would speed up the introduction of new weapons systems, which usually takes years. In view of the rapid development of drone technology, the agreements will involve the initial supply of a limited number of training machines, with the possibility of further rapid expansion of the order of the latest models if necessary.
