Germany’s defense ministry is scrutinizing US investor Peter Thiel’s influence at Stark Defence as it weighs the approval of a major kamikaze drone procurement for the Bundeswehr, with ministers warning that any increased influence would require close scrutiny.

Green Party lawmakers are leading calls for transparency and raising concerns about Thiel’s associations, urging limits or state safeguards to prevent external influence over critical military suppliers.

Thiel reportedly holds a single-digit stake in Stark Defence, and officials say only a limited stake is allowed, but higher influence over operational decisions would trigger intensified scrutiny.

The drones, loitering munitions, would be tested and adapted to German specifications and are planned for deployment first with the Brigade Litauen on NATO’s eastern flank.

Total investment could reach several billion euros over coming years, with the first tranche ordering thousands of drone units.

Germany’s defense spending context is noted, with the drone project’s cost framed against public budgets like the Environmental Ministry and the Climate Fund for 2026.

Budget committee decisions on the contract are imminent, with unit prices largely redacted; Helsing’s HX-2 is cited up to about €52,000 per unit and Stark Defence’s Virtus is expected to be higher.

Contract documents are redacted for lawmakers, but initial price signals point to a multi-hundred-million-euro to multi-billion-euro framework for the drones.

The project is presented as essential for the Bundeswehr’s Baltic defense posture via Brigade Lithuania, with broad political support anticipated for moving forward.

The report provides a concise parliamentary decision point and expenditure outline within the defense procurement process.

If the deal is blocked, it would mark the second recent parliamentary setback on defense projects, following the MAUS system debate.

The scale of the decision is compared to the Arrow-3 deal with Israel to illustrate the potential size of the procurement.