Germany to set up first drone regiment next year, modeled after Ukraine war lessons

VIENNA — Germany plans to stand up its first dedicated drone regiment next year, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced, as Berlin attempts to institutionalize lessons from the war in Ukraine after years of domestic foot-dragging on unmanned warfare. Speaking Oct. 1 at the Bergen military training area during the army’s “Experimentalserie Land” trials, Pistorius said ground forces will begin forming the regiment in 2027. Officials credited direct operational exchanges with Ukrainian frontline units for shaping the live-fire trials, which tested both aerial drones and unmanned ground…