Co‑founder Grundbert Scherf of the Munich start‑up Helsing argues that NATO’s eastern flank should be protected largely with European weapons, not those shipped from the United States. Speaking to “Der Spiegel”, he said there had been plenty of warning signs and that the bloc must be able to act “militarily, as far as possible, purely European”. Scherf’s company also produces what it calls “lurking munitions”-kamikaze drones.
To reach that objective, he urges politicians to order more armaments within Europe immediately and to revamp the EU’s stringent procurement rules at once. “It’s absurdly easier to buy an American product than a European one” he explained, noting that since 2014 he has served as a special adviser to Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen on streamlining acquisitions.
The German armed forces are planning to acquire Helsing’s HX‑2 model as their initial kamikaze drone lineup, pending approval from the Bundestag. In response to widespread criticism of AI‑enabled weapons, Scherf emphasized his commitment to ethics. Many of his employees come from non‑defence backgrounds and wish to stand morally behind their products. “We are not building autonomous killer machines” he asserted. “No machine makes the decision”.
Instead, the AI is intended to automate reconnaissance work, freeing soldiers from frame‑by‑frame video analysis and allowing them more time for human decision‑making. According to Scherf, this improved surveillance can deliver more precise strikes than conventional artillery, which he characterises as largely “blind”.