Available drones for the Bundeswehr

Today, a framework contract for the procurement of a new unmanned reconnaissance system for the Army's Special Forces was signed at the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Utilization of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw). The project called "remote reconnaissance system, aerial, short distance" - briefly FALKE - enables the procurement of unmanned airborne systems of the commercially available type "Vector VTOL", including training for the operators provided by the industry. The contractor Quantum-Systems GmbH is contractually obligated to deliver 14 systems starting in the fourth quarter of 2024.

In the future, the Bundeswehr will have a rapidly deployable and autonomous system for precise reconnaissance over a distance of up to 30 km or a flight duration of up to three hours. Thanks to the integrated combo sensor with optical and infrared camera, day and night operations are possible in all climate zones.

The procurement was prepared and implemented in accordance with the accelerated procurement procedure. Supported by the Procurement Task Force and the technical supervision in the BMVg, the selection was made through a competitive procurement process; in this case, the best approach for both rapid procurement and optimal use of market instruments. This considered the innovation capability of the medium-sized industry and also aimed to achieve an optimum price-performance ratio.

Through close collaboration between BAAINBw, the UAS Competence Center of the Wehrtechnische Dienststelle 61 in Manching, and the Army Special Forces as the future users, the procurement was successfully completed with the signing of the contract in significantly less than a year after the allocation of budget funds.

The unmanned reconnaissance systems (UAS) ALADIN and MIKADO already in use in the Bundeswehr support reconnaissance and combat troops. They are designed for temporary and limited reconnaissance and surveillance up to a maximum range of 5 km.

With the procurement of the FALKE reconnaissance system, the Special Forces now have a reconnaissance system optimized for their operational spectrum, meeting requirements in terms of range, flight time, and sensor capability. ALL INFO on the Vector VTOL.

GERMAN ARMED FORCES online