DW Berlin Briefing - Inside German politics What Peter Thiel has to do with Germany’s drones
Feb 20, 2026
Roman Goncharenko, DW reporter on security and frontline lessons from Ukraine; Emil Archambault, DGAP drone and defence specialist; Christopher F. Schuetze, NYT Berlin correspondent on defence policy. They discuss why Germany urgently needs combat drones. They explain loitering munitions, procurement shifts toward faster buying, the scale of proposed contracts, and political fallout around Peter Thiel's stake.
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Political Fallout From A Thiel-Backed Bidder
- Germany's drone procurement became politically explosive because one bidder is backed by Peter Thiel.
- Thiel's politics and Palantir links raised civil liberties and influence concerns among lawmakers.
Loitering Munitions Are A Game Changer
- Loitering munitions are decisive in the Ukraine war and cause a large share of casualties.
- Germany urgently needs these long-range one-way drones to protect deployed brigades like the one in Lithuania.
Quantity Matters As Much As Quality
- These drones are one-way munitions about the size of small planes with ~100 km range.
- Militaries now need mass production and large stockpiles rather than a few very expensive guided munitions.