Autonomous drones

Start-up wants to equip Europe for the war of the future

Image of a "Vector" reconnaissance drone from Quantum Systems(Bild: quantum-systems.com)

They are small, fast, maneuverable, relatively cheap and lethal at best: drones have been considered the weapon of choice for future wars since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A German company now wants to equip Europe for them too, but its plans have met with criticism.

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS), more commonly known as drones, have found their way into numerous industries within a short space of time due to their wide range of applications and comparative ease of use - be it for search and rescue missions after natural disasters, automated railroad inspections after storms or for collecting data from the air during large-scale construction work.

In addition to agriculture, mining, construction and energy, the aircraft are of particular interest to one sector: defense.