Germany Starts Building 5,000 Long-Range Drones for Ukraine With AI Guidance to Counter Jamming
Germany has begun producing more than 5,000 long-range strike drones for Ukraine under a contract running through mid‑2027, according to Handelsblatt. Built by Auterion and Ukraine’s Airlogix, one model can reportedly hit targets up to 1,500 kilometers away and uses AI-based autonomous guidance to help overcome Russian electronic warfare.
Germany is moving ahead with a large drone supply program for Ukraine, launching production of thousands of long-range systems designed to reach far into Russian-held territory.
According to Handelsblatt, Berlin has started producing more than 5,000 strike drones for Ukraine under a contract that runs until mid‑2027. The systems are being built by Auterion together with Ukraine’s Airlogix.
One of the drone models is reported to have a range of up to 1,500 kilometers. If used from launch points inside Ukraine, that distance would place sites deep inside Russia within potential reach.
The drones are described as carrying AI-powered autonomous guidance systems. This design is intended to help them navigate and stay on course despite Russian electronic warfare, which seeks to disrupt communications and targeting.
For Ukraine, the deal means a sustained flow of long-range, relatively low-cost weapons tailored to survive heavy use of jamming and other countermeasures. For Russia, it signals that more of its rear-area military and infrastructure targets could come under pressure over the coming years.
Key indicators to monitor include how quickly production ramps up, how many drones are delivered and deployed, and any visible changes in Russian air-defense and electronic warfare posture in response to a growing long-range drone threat.
Sources
- OSINT