Grundbert Scherf, co‑founder of the Munich start‑up Helsing, says the NATO East Front should be largely equipped with European weapon systems rather than those from the United States. “We definitely have had enough wake‑up calls” Scherf told “Der Spiegel”. “On the East Front we should be able to act – as much as possible – purely European” he added. The company, which produces so‑called “lurking ammunition” or kamikaze drones, is behind this push.
To reach that goal, Scherf insists that politics must immediately order more arms in Europe and change the stringent EU procurement rules as soon as possible. “It is absurdly easier to buy a US product than a European one” he explained, recalling his two‑year stint from 2014 as a special adviser to Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen on more efficient procurement.
The Bundeswehr plans to field the HX‑2 model for its initial kit of kamikaze drones, pending approval from the Bundestag. When asked about the widespread criticism of AI‑assisted weapon systems, Scherf stressed that he takes ethical concerns seriously. Many of his own staff come from outside the defence industry and want to stand morally behind their products. “We don’t build autonomous killer machines” he said. “No machine makes a decision for us”.
The AI component is limited to reconnaissance. Soldiers will no longer need to painstakingly evaluate each image, freeing time for human decision‑making, Scherf said. Better surveillance, he argued, can deliver more precise strikes than human operators working under pressure. “Traditional artillery fires largely ‘blindly’ in comparison” he asserted.