German defense companies TDW and Stark Defence tested warheads for the Virtus drone at a testing ground in Bavaria. A powerful detonation occurred, resulting in deep holes in sheets of armored steel. According to provided information, all processes took place under controlled laboratory conditions. Drone manufacturer Stark Defence reported that during the tests, the drone penetrated more than 80 centimeters of armored steel. The evaluation was organized at the Bavarian testing ground because TDW is located in the city of Schrobenhausen (Upper Bavaria). TDW manufactures the warheads for the Virtus aircraft and collaborates with Stark Defence in this area.
Accounting for the Majority of Target Hits in Ukraine
A look at the battlefield in Ukraine shows how critical such aircraft can be. These systems belong to the category of loitering munitions. These are drones equipped with a warhead that first wait in the air, circling, and upon command, dive toward the target and explode. Andreas Seitz, head of TDW, explained that such munitions account for 70 percent of all target hits.
Stark Defence Vice President Josef Kranawetvogl noted that the Virtus drone is capable of traveling over 100 kilometers and staying in the air for more than an hour. He added that the weapon is essentially ready for use and is currently being adapted to NATO standards. It is not yet certain whether the Bundeswehr will specifically choose the Virtus model from TDW and Stark Defence to equip its units. Companies Helsing and Rheinmetall are also competing for this contract.
Capacity to Produce Hundreds of Thousands of Warheads
Warhead developer TDW from Schrobenhausen is already anticipating high demand. Seitz explained that the company is retooling its facilities to be able to plan the production and supply of standard warheads for loitering munitions in quantities of tens or even hundreds of thousands.
Six Batteries by 2029
The Bundeswehr has cautioned against drawing premature conclusions from the results. Nevertheless, the department has already named specific deadlines for when such systems should be at the disposal of the troops. Specifically, Lieutenant General Christian Freuding, Inspector of the Army, spoke about this in November at a parliamentary evening of the Society for the Promotion of the German Army.
He stated: “We have begun testing under conditions of fair competition and plan to have the first medium-range battery ready by 2027, and five more by 2029.” In terms of numbers, one battery corresponds to a company and includes between 60 and 150 military personnel.
Source: dpa
