Germany to deliver AI-controlled drones to Ukraine

Germany is set to deliver 4,000 AI-controlled kamikaze drones to Ukraine, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has announced. The drones, dubbed ‘mini-Taurus’ in a reference to Berlin’s long-range cruise missiles, are reportedly immune to jamming and other disabling measures.

Speaking at an event in Schrobenhausen, Bavaria, Pistorius said the weapons can “put the enemy’s electronic drone defense out of action” and simply “fly around it,” as quoted by Die Welt. The drones can reach 30 or 40 kilometers “into the hinterland and then attack command posts, logistical hubs and other things,” he added, calling them “an important additional asset” for Ukraine’s forces.

Bild newspaper reported earlier on Monday that the software company Helsing had signed a contract for the delivery of the HX-2 Karma drones with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense in September, with the project to be financed by Germany’s federal government.

Pistorius had previously announced in June that thousands of combat drones would be delivered to Ukraine, but did not provide further details at the time.

The HX-2 Karma drone has been nicknamed the ‘mini-Taurus’ – a reference to the German-made air-launched Taurus cruise missile. It has a range up to four times greater than that of the conventional kamikaze drones used by Ukraine’s military, Bild said. It can also fly into a target if the radio connection is disrupted, meaning that it has a significantly higher hit rate than a conventional manually-controlled drone, the outlet added.

Starting in December, hundreds of units will be delivered each month, the report said. 

Ukraine has made repeated requests for Germany’s Taurus air-launched, long-range cruise missiles. However, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has continued to refuse them, despite opposition from some members of the country’s now-collapsed ruling coalition, as well as some senior opposition figures.

Scholz has justified his refusal to give Taurus missiles to the Ukrainian military by saying that the move would make Germany a direct party to the conflict.  

Asked on Monday if the chancellor would lift the ban following reports that the US will allow Ukraine to conduct long-range strikes into Russian territory with its missiles, Pistorius said such a decision “doesn’t change our assessment at the moment.” He added that the long-range missiles would “not be a game changer” for Ukraine on the battlefield.