Rheinmetall's Kamikaze Drone Development Trails Competitors, Report Claims

German defense giant Rheinmetall is reportedly falling behind smaller competitors in the race to develop a new kamikaze drone, which in its current state is “not dangerous even to inflatable tanks,” according to the Berliner Zeitung.

The newspaper cited classified documents and insider accounts as saying that the arms maker is being given preferential treatment from the government, even as its FV-014 drone has encountered multiple issues during testing. Rheinmetall is competing with startups Helsing and Stark Defence as Berlin pours billions of euros into a military buildup purportedly designed to deter Russia.

Last week the outlet reported that a framework agreement gave Rheinmetall an advantage over its rivals. Follow-up reporting on Monday suggests that the FV-104 has not performed as successfully in recent trials. Officials in the Defense Ministry are allegedly referring to the drone internally as a “PowerPoint project,” as lawmakers consider approving the €2.5 billion ($2.9 billion) contract.

Rheinmetall calls its drone a “state-of-the-art” system “designed for dynamic combat deployment at ranges of up to 100 kilometres.”

During testing, the FV-014 was tasked with hitting two stationary inflatable tank replica targets positioned less than a kilometer away, the outlet said. Boosters reportedly failed to ignite properly on two occasions, while their noise levels were high enough to risk exposing operator positions to enemy counterfire.

Additional concerns reportedly included battery performance, integration with the Bundeswehr’s drone systems, and the fact that tests were conducted by company personnel rather than military operators.

Questions about the procurement process emerged last November, when media reports revealed that Helsing and Stark Defence had failed initial tests, while Rheinmetall did not participate. Despite this, the government proceeded with funding all three projects.

Meanwhile, Helsing and Stark Defence have since improved their systems and secured contracts in February. Under the proposed broad agreement, currently reviewed by the parliament’s Budget Committee, Rheinmetall reportedly plans to deliver around 2,500 FV-014 drones valued at nearly €300 million.