Serial production of 5,000 long-range combat drones for Ukraine begins near Munich
Serial production of more than 5,000 long-range kamikaze drones for Ukraine has started at a facility near Munich, the German-American defense company Auterion and its Ukrainian joint-venture partner Airlogix announced. The drones are being built under a German government order worth approximately 300 million euros, scheduled for completion by mid-2027.
Key points
- Auterion and Airlogix announced the manufacture of the first drones at a facility near Munich
- The contract, placed by the German government, is worth approximately 300 million euros
- The order is scheduled to be fulfilled by mid-2027
- Two drone models are planned: a medium-range model and a long-range model with a flight radius of up to 1,500 km
- Auterion supplies the software and operating system; Airlogix supplies the hardware
- The drones are one-way kamikaze-type UAVs loaded with explosives that detonate on impact
- AI is used in the software to help the drones withstand enemy electronic countermeasures
- Auterion expects further orders beyond the initial contract
- Separately, Germany has allocated 90 million euros to procure 50,000 Ukrainian Shrike drones
Why it matters
The launch marks the start of large-scale serial production of long-range strike drones for Ukraine on German territory, backed by a multi-hundred-million-euro German government procurement commitment scheduled over roughly two years. By pairing German industrial capacity with Ukrainian combat experience through a joint venture founded only months earlier, the project creates a new production line for affordable precision weapons. The 1,500 km-range variant extends Ukraine's potential strike reach, and the program runs alongside a separate German-funded order of 50,000 Ukrainian Shrike drones.
What happened
Auterion, a German-American defense company headquartered in the United States with a German office in Munich, and its Ukrainian joint-venture partner Airlogix announced the start of serial production at a facility near Munich. The first drones have already been manufactured, and additional production is planned at a second facility in eastern Germany. The project covers two drone models: a medium-range version and a long-range variant capable of reaching targets up to 1,500 km away. Auterion provides the software and operating system, while Airlogix provides the hardware. The drones are one-way kamikaze UAVs carrying explosives that detonate on impact, and their software uses artificial intelligence to resist enemy electronic countermeasures. The German government order is worth approximately 300 million euros and is scheduled to be completed by mid-2027. The joint venture was founded in February, and Auterion says it expects further orders beyond this initial contract. Separately, the German government has allocated 90 million euros to finance the procurement of 50,000 Ukrainian Shrike drones for Ukraine's Defense Forces.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language coverage frames the event as a significant German contribution to Ukraine's defense capabilities, emphasizing the production location near Munich, the scale of 5,000 drones, the roughly 300 million euro contract value, and the inclusion of a 1,500 km-range model. Sources foreground the Ukrainian role through Airlogix and its CEO Vitaliy Kolesnichenko, portraying the partnership as a combination of battle-tested Ukrainian systems and German industrial capacity. The separate German funding for 50,000 Ukrainian Shrike drones is highlighted as complementary Ukrainian-German drone cooperation.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on the founding date of the Auterion–Airlogix joint venture: most say simply 'February' of the current year, while at least one article specifies February 2026.
Background
The Auterion–Airlogix joint venture was founded in February of the same year as the production announcement. Auterion was originally founded in Switzerland by Lorenz Mayer, who is of German origin; the company is now headquartered in the United States, with a German office in Munich. It employs approximately 300 people, not counting partner-company staff, and reports being profitable without disclosing annual revenue. Handelsblatt, the German publication that first reported the start of production, published its report on 3 September. Separately, Munich police are investigating an attempted arson attack on the construction site of another defense company, Rohde & Schwarz, after unknown individuals threw incendiary devices.