Germany Moves Forward with €900 Million Drone Deals Despite Failed Tests

By Staff, Agencies

Germany is proceeding with €900 million ($1.05 billion) in contracts for kamikaze drones, even though some of the systems failed critical field trials or were never tested, according to reports by Bild and the Financial Times.

The deals, involving Stark, Helsing, and Rheinmetall, aim to strengthen the Bundeswehr’s drone capabilities.

However, Bild cited defense sources describing a disastrous test near Munster in late October, where two Stark drones missed their targets — one by over 150 meters — while another crashed into nearby woodland. Rheinmetall reportedly skipped the evaluation entirely.

Despite these failures, both Stark and Rheinmetall were chosen to receive €300 million contracts each, just days after the tests. Parliamentary approval is still pending, though further evaluations are planned.

Founded in 2024 and backed by Peter Thiel, Sequoia Capital, and NATO’s Innovation Fund, Stark also participated in recent British Army trials in Kenya, where its drones again failed to strike targets.

Sources told the FT the tests were “a disaster” and accused Stark of overselling its technology. The program is part of the EU’s broader militarization push, framed as preparation for potential confrontation with Russia — a justification Moscow dismisses as misleading.