
Germany’s Bundeswehr will establish its first dedicated drone regiment in 2027, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced Thursday at the Bergen training ground in Lower Saxony. The unit, designed to consolidate capabilities for unmanned systems, will comprise up to 600 personnel and cover ranges from close proximity to 500 kilometers, he said.
Pistorius framed the move as a response to the prominence of drones in modern warfare, stating, “Whoever wants to prevail on land must master combat with unmanned systems.” The regiment will integrate aerial and ground-based drones, including loitering munitions currently undergoing trials, and feature a specialized company for electronic warfare .
Army Inspector General Lt. Gen. Christian Freuding said the regiment would initially field 300 troops, scaling to 600, with its location still undecided. He emphasized the need to accelerate drone integration across existing units, including armor, reconnaissance and infantry, following lessons from Ukraine . The new formation is expected to join the 10th Panzer Division, which includes Brigade 45, deployed to Lithuania for NATO’s eastern flank defense .
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