Grundbert Scherf, co‑founder of the Munich startup Helsing, argues that the NATO eastern flank should be protected mainly with European weapons systems rather than American ones. “We’ve heard enough alarm calls” he told Spiegel, adding that Europe should be capable of acting “as purely European” as possible in that area.
Scherf points to Helsing’s product line, which includes “lurking ammunition” and so‑called kamikaze drones, as an example of the kind of indigenous technology that could fill that role. He stresses that, in order to achieve this goal, policy makers must immediately order more armaments to be produced in Europe and “quickly change the strict EU procurement rules”. He notes that, absurdly, it is often easier to purchase a US product than a European one.
Scherf previously worked as a special adviser to Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) from 2014, a two‑year tenure focused on making procurement more efficient. The Bundeswehr is planning to start its first kit of kamikaze drones with the HX‑2 model from Helsing, though Parliamentary approval is still required.
Regarding widespread criticism of AI‑driven weapons, Scherer says he takes ethical questions seriously. Many of his employees come from non‑defence backgrounds and want to feel morally secure behind their products. “We do not build autonomous killer machines” he asserts. “No machine makes a decision”.
According to him, the AI merely automates reconnaissance, freeing soldiers from image‑by‑image analysis and giving them more time for human judgement. The enhanced situational awareness, he claims, would produce more accurate strikes than human operators working under pressure. “Compared to classic artillery, which largely fires ‘blind,'” Scherer argues, “our system can provide a higher level of precision”.