The German armed forces (Bundeswehr) plans to establish its own drone regiment by 2027. This regiment will operate as an independent unit dedicated to unmanned systems. Federal Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) announced this during a visit to the Bergen military training ground in Lower Saxony on Thursday.
Pistorius stressed the Bundeswehr’s commitment to leveraging high technology, innovation, and autonomous systems to significantly enhance troop capabilities. The new drone regiment is designed to cover operational ranges of up to 500 kilometers and will include its own company specializing in electromagnetic warfare. A core objective is to accelerate development speed and provide a direct testing environment for systems within the military structure.
The minister further explained that unmanned systems will play a crucial role across land, air, and sea domains. In developing these new capabilities, the Bundeswehr intends to incorporate lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. The drone regiment will specifically be an element of the divisional forces of the 10th Armoured Division, thereby strengthening the capabilities of armoured units.
