Helsing hands over software to the German Armed Forces for air defense:
The AI specialist Helsing has handed over the source code for open mission systems to ...
faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/helsing-uebergibt-software-an-bundeswehr-fuer-luftabwehr-201650491.html
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German company specializing in artificial intelligence for defense purposes
federal defense forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities since 1955
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Helsing hands over software to German Armed Forces for air defense
faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/helsing-uebergibt-software-an-bundeswehr-fuer-luftabwehr-201650491.html
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Boris Pistorius at Helsing: Praise for the arms industry, kamikaze drones for the Bundeswehr
faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/boris-pistorius-bei-helsing-lob-fuer-ruestungsindustrie-kamikazedrohnen-fuer-die-bundeswehr-201634498.html
New drones for the German Armed Forces: Four defense giants are vying for the multi-billion-euro contract
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KIRK: Helsing and OHB bring warfare to space: AI satellites are intended to detect targets in real time - | and radically reduce the time between detection and ...
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Rheinmetall joins forces with Boeing for large combat drones: The German Armed Forces want to buy hundreds of fighter-bomber drones to accompany combat aircraft ...
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Secret and AI-controlled: A visit to the drone factory in Helsing: The next generation of aircraft is being developed in a factory in southern Germany: ...
nzz.ch/pro/geheim-und-ki-gesteuert-zu-besuch-in-der-drohnenfabrik-von-helsing-ld.1926818
German Armed Forces: Budget Committee approves purchase of kamikaze drones: The SPD, in particular, has opposed the purchase of lethal drones for the German ...
t-online.de/nachrichten/deutschland/militaer-verteidigung/id_101144788/bundeswehr-haushaltsausschuss-bewilligt-kauf-von-kamikazedrohnen.html
Key FactsBudget Row Over German Kamikaze Drones
Feb 25, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: morgenpost.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: morgenpost.de
- The ministry intends to procure kamikaze drones from startups Stark Defence and Helsing to support a Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania.
- The budget committee approved initial orders of about €540 million but limited expansion options to €1 billion per start-up and required renewed parliamentary approval for additional quantities.
- Critics questioned technical maturity and warned about investor influence after reports of Peter Thiel's stake in Stark Defence, while the ministry and manufacturers point to improved accuracy in recent tests.
- Both systems are described as loitering munitions with AI support; Helsing claims HX-2 reach up to 100 km and Stark says Virtus can be deployed from varied terrain in under ten minutes and penetrate up to 80 cm of tank steel.
As true as it is that drones dominate the current war Russia is waging against Ukraine, it is also true that no one knows whether that will still be the case in five years.— Boris Pistorius, after a Bundestag Defense Committee session
Kamikaze drones from Helsing and Stark: Pistorius fears for purchase: Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants to buy drones for the Bundeswehr ...
t-online.de/nachrichten/deutschland/militaer-verteidigung/id_101131654/kamikazedrohnen-von-helsing-und-stark-pistorius-muss-um-einkauf-bangen.html
Combat drones for 4.3 billion euros: Trump confidant Peter Thiel as an arms investor for the German Bundeswehr?
merkur.de/wirtschaft/zweifelhafter-investor-steht-pistorius-milliarden-deal-auf-der-kippe-94178582.html
Key FactsControversial Investors Threaten Drone Contract
Feb 20, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: merkur.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: merkur.de
- The Defence Ministry plans initial firm orders of about €270 million each for two German startups producing loitering munitions, with potential lifetime contracts around €4.3 billion.
- Controversy centers on a single-digit stake by US billionaire Peter Thiel in Stark Defence, alongside investments from Joe Lonsdale and In-Q-Tel.
- Parliamentary scrutiny intensified as many unit prices are redacted in the documents, while a Helsing HX-2 drone is listed at up to €52,000.
- A decisive Bundestag budget-committee vote is scheduled for next Wednesday and could fail, following an earlier blockage of the MAUS project worth about €600 million.
We must reduce dependencies as much as possible in defense procurement. Therefore I view deals with companies in which self-proclaimed anti-democrats like Peter Thiel are involved as extremely critical.— Said by Sebastian Schäfer, Greens budget politician, in relation to the defense procurement debate and Thiel's involvement
For the pilotless fighter jet: German arms companies agree on a controversial cooperation.
fr.de/wirtschaft/muenchner-sicherheitskonferenz-aufruestung-bundeswehr-hensoldt-helsing-aktie-kooperation-news-zr-94167934.html
Key FactsNew Alliance Advances Europe’s Autonomous Combat Jet
Feb 13, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: fr.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: fr.de
- German defense firms Hensoldt and Helsing established a strategic partnership to develop cutting-edge military technologies.
- The CA-1 Europe autonomous jet will incorporate Hensoldt’s radar, electro-optical, self-protection, and electronic warfare sensors.
- A collaboration with Norway’s Kongsberg aims to launch a satellite network for surveillance and target acquisition by 2029.
- This alliance highlights Germany’s growing leadership in European defense manufacturing and strategic autonomy.
The future of modern defense systems lies in the intelligent and interconnected interplay of sensors and artificial intelligence.— Oliver Dörre, CEO of Hensoldt, on the role of technology in defense.
New weapon against Russia: Why the German Armed Forces are now relying on masses of kamikaze drones
fr.de/politik/pistorius-bestellt-tausende-ki-kamikazedrohnen-fuer-die-bundeswehr-zr-94162735.html
Key FactsGerman Army Adopts AI Kamikaze Drones for Defense
Feb 10, 2026 · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: merkur.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: merkur.de
- The Ministry of Defense is set to procure thousands of AI-driven combat drones swiftly for the German military.
- Two German companies, Stark Defence and Helsing, supply drone models with operational ranges up to 200 kilometers.
- These AI drones will equip the Panzer Brigade 45 stationed at NATO’s eastern flank in Lithuania starting 2026.
- A revamped procurement process allows faster delivery compared to traditional Bundeswehr acquisitions.
Defense - | German army plans to order drones from Stark and Helsing: The German army plans to spend around 536 million euros on an initial delivery of new ...
deutschlandfunk.de/bundeswehr-will-drohnen-bei-stark-und-helsing-bestellen-102.html
German drone technology fails on the Ukrainian front: only a third hit their target
fr.de/politik/deutsche-drohnentechnologie-versagt-an-der-ukraine-front-nur-ein-drittel-treffen-ihr-ziel-zr-94148451.html
Key FactsCombat Drones Face Technical Setbacks in Ukraine War
Feb 1, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: fr.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: fr.de
- Germany’s military intends to invest €600 million in combat drones currently challenged by technical issues.
- Internal reports indicate that just about one-third of drones deployed in Ukraine have successfully struck targets.
- Failures mainly stem from unstable video links and limited sensor flexibility rather than enemy interference.
- Manufacturer Helsing denies criticisms, citing nearly perfect hit rates in tests conducted in Germany, the UK, and Kenya.
We cannot tolerate misleading reports about our company and our many employees who are committed to the security of Europe.— Helsing rebuts the accusations and emphasizes the importance of their employees for the security of Europe.
Defense: Helsing and Stark build kamikaze drones for the German Armed Forces: The two start-ups receive orders to manufacture so-called "loitering ammunition" - ...
handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/industrie/verteidigung-helsing-und-stark-bauen-kamikaze-drohnen-fuer-die-bundeswehr/100195872.html
Helsing drones: Report raises doubts about the German Armed Forces' mega-deal
businessinsider.de/wirtschaft/helsing-drohnen-bericht-weckt-zweifel-an-mega-deal-der-bundeswehr/
The Rise of German Weapons Startups: Helsing and Stark aim to penetrate the heart of German arms modernization with their combat drones ...
correctiv.org/aktuelles/sicherheit-und-verteidigung/2026/01/27/aufstieg-der-deutschen-waffen-start-ups/
Helsing drones reportedly disappoint in frontline operations: Ukraine is not supposed to place any further orders with the German company. The company disputes ...
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German drone weapon is complete: Warhead tested in Schrobenhausen: A violent detonation and deeply riddled armor plates: The German arms companies TDW and Stark ...
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Paid articlePaywall Sluggish rearmament: The German Armed Forces want to acquire kamikaze drones. The status: "delayed"
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