The chair of the Bundestag’s Defence Committee, Thomas Röwekamp (CDU), urged the rapid procurement of combat drones for the German armed forces. He also dismissed concerns about the contractor Stark Defence, saying that the company’s association with Trump‑proximity investor Peter Thiel was unfounded.
Addressing the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” Röwekamp noted that questions about the price, quantity, and technical capabilities of the drones remain. “We can address these in the normal parliamentary process” he added.
He said the acquisition is urgent because Germany needs drone capability as a response to the daily warfare conducted by Russia in Ukraine, particularly to protect the brigade being built in Lithuania. “Therefore it is right to award the contract directly to companies with market‑available offers” he explained. “The stake of any single contractor is of minor importance, given the very low involvement of an American investor”.
Both the Defence and Budget Committees are expected, following the Defence Ministry’s direction, to approve next week the procurement of combat and loitering‑munition drones (“kamikaze drones”) from German start‑ups Stark Defence and Helsing, valued at around €600 million, with anticipated follow‑up orders.
However, some questions remain. The Stark Defence drones are reportedly significantly more expensive than those from Helsing, and their systems are viewed as not sufficiently mature. Additionally, critics focus on Peter Thiel’s involvement, citing his close ties to former U.S. President Donald Trump and his associates.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) publicly expressed explicit concerns about Thiel during a troop visit on Tuesday. He said that the impact of Thiel on Stark Defence must be clarified. “If he has operational influence-if he holds blocking minorities or in any form-then we are talking about a different quality than if he is, say, in a single‑digit percent stake and has no operational power” he explained. “Everything else should be clarified next week. I am convinced”.