Media: Germany plans to procure long-range strike drones as early as 2026

Germany's armed forces are preparing to begin procuring long-range strike drones as early as 2026 as part of an ambitious effort to strengthen the country's military capabilities, according to a report by Handelsblatt.

The report said the Bundeswehr aims to have up to 500 strike drones with a range of more than 1,000 kilometres in operational service by 2029.

According to Handelsblatt, the first trial batch of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is expected to be ordered in 2026. An unnamed representative of Germany's defence industry told the newspaper that the Bundeswehr could purchase an initial batch of around 100 drones from one of the manufacturers as early as this year.

However, other sources cited by the publication said the first procurement is more likely to involve around 10 drones in 2026, noting that the military must begin acquisitions soon if it is to meet its 2029 deployment target.

Several defence companies are competing for the contract. Among the leading contenders are a joint project by Germany's Rheinmetall and Boeing's Australian division based on the MQ-28 Ghost Bat platform, a partnership between Airbus and U.S.-based defence technology company Kratos developing the Valkyrie drone, and a collaboration between German firms Helsing and Hensoldt on the CA-1 system.

According to the report, the competing drone programmes are at different stages of development, and the Bundeswehr may choose to divide the procurement among multiple suppliers rather than selecting a single platform.

The newspaper said the approach would not only accelerate deliveries but also provide the military with two different categories of strike drones. One type would be launched and controlled by fighter aircraft, while the other would operate autonomously in a manner similar to cruise missiles, carrying out missions independently before returning to base.

By Sabina Mammadli