Grundbert Scherf, co‑founder of the Munich‑based startup Helsing, argues that NATO’s eastern flank should be secured primarily with European weapons systems rather than those supplied from the United States. “We have had enough alarms” he told “Der Spiegel”. “On the eastern flank we should be able to operate purely European militarily, as far as possible” he added. Helsing also produces what it calls “lurking ammunition” a type of kamikaze drone.
Scherf calls for a rapid shift in policy: European forces must order more armaments within Europe, and the EU’s procurement rules must be reformed immediately. “It is absurd that it is often easier to buy a US product than a European one” he explained, recalling that from 2014 to 2016 he served as a special adviser to Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen on making the German armed forces’ procurement more efficient.
For its initial fleet of kamikaze drones, the German army is looking at Helsing’s current model, the HX‑2. Parliamentary approval from the Bundestag is still required for the purchase. When asked about the widespread criticism of AI‑supported weaponry, Scherf said he takes ethical concerns seriously. Many of his own employees come from non‑defence backgrounds and want to be able to stand morally behind their products. “We do not build autonomous killer machines” he stressed. “No machine in our system makes any decision”.
According to Scherf, AI simply automates reconnaissance, relieving soldiers from reviewing footage frame by frame. This frees them for human decision‑making and, as he claims, provides more precise targeting than human operators operating under pressure. “Traditional artillery is comparatively ‘blind,'” he said, comparing it to the informed strikes achievable with AI‑enhanced reconnaissance.
