A joint venture between US-German software developer Auterion and Ukrainian manufacturer Airlogix has launched mass production of more than 5,000 unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in Germany for Ukraine.
Funded by Berlin in a contract worth approximately 300 million euros ($349 million), the effort covers the Seth X medium-range drone for swarm operations and the Anubis long-range strike drone, which can travel up to 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) and carry a 50-kilogram (110-pound) warhead.
Assembly is underway at a facility near Munich, while the companies plan to establish a second production site in eastern Germany.
Deliveries to the Ukrainian Armed Forces will begin later this year, with the full contract expected to be completed by mid-2027.
‘Combat-Proven’ UAS
According to the consortium, both platforms use AI-powered terminal navigation and flight guidance to operate in signal-contested environments.
Human operators designate the targets, after which the onboard autonomy software guides the drones through the terminal phase of their strikes.
The venture plans to replicate the production model for other European and allied military customers as demand for autonomous drone fleets grows.
“Germany now has a production line for affordable precision mass,” said Lorenz Meier, founder and CEO of Auterion. “We are delivering fielded, proven systems this year, at a cost and rate that makes deterrence something you can actually stockpile.”
Airlogix CEO Vitalii Kolesnichenko added that the venture “brings together what neither company could achieve alone: our combat-proven airframes, Auterion’s autonomy software, and German industrial capacity.”
