Bundeswehr orders FV-014 loitering munition from Rheinmetall

An image of an FV-014 loitering munition released by Rheinmetall in April 2026, as the Bundeswehr signed a contract for up to tens of thousands of them. (Rheinmetall)

The Bundeswehr signed a framework contract with Rheinmetall for the FV-014 loitering munition (LM) on 22 April 2026, the German company announced in a press release that day. Deliveries are planned to begin in the first half of 2027, following qualification starting in the second quarter of 2026.

The company valued the framework contract in billions of euros, with the first call-off worth EUR300 million (USD351 million). Rheinmetall said the contract includes an option for tens of thousands of FV-014 autonomous reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said the LM combines reconnaissance and strike capabilities, adding, “The FV-014 will enable the Bundeswehr to protect its own forces and engage critical targets in a fast, controlled and effective manner. We...will begin producing the system in large quantities on an industrial scale very soon.”

According to Rheinmetall, the FV-014 loitering munition system has a 4 kg warhead, including the ignition device. It has a range of up to 100 km and can remain airborne for 70 minutes, monitoring targets until it engages them. The system is produced entirely in the EU.

The budget committee of the Bundestag, Germany's parliament, approved procurements including the LM on 15 April, the German Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg) announced on its website the following day. The ministry recalled that the Bundestag budget committee had already approved the procurement of LMs from two German companies on 25 February 2026, referring to Helsing's HX-2 and Stark's Virtus vertical take-off and landing LM.