'Game changer': German military invests in combat drones

The German military plans to invest in combat drones, sources in the Defence Ministry said on Thursday.
Contracts are to be signed in the coming days, the sources said, adding that the military plans to initially purchase small quantities of the drones from at least two unnamed manufacturers so that troops can gain experience using them.
The partly autonomous attack drones are equipped with explosives and are referred to as "loitering ammunition."
As they can be employed for single attacks, they are sometimes known as kamikaze drones.
In recent years, Germany has lagged well behind other countries in the field of defence technology, but a number of companies are now active in the field.
Among them is Helsing, which has developed the HX-2 drone, initially for use in Ukraine.
The drone uses artificial intelligence to direct explosive charges at a target and is less susceptible to jamming.
Helsing recently advocated the rapid development of a credible conventional deterrent on NATO's eastern flank using new types of combat drones.
The Defence Ministry believes drones have become a "real game changer" in modern warfare, similar to the development of tanks 100 years ago.
The technology can be decisive in certain battles, even if the weapons cannot determine the outcome of an entire war, it said.

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Miami Herald

21 minutes ago

• Miami Herald

Trump says US carried out attack on three nuclear sites in Iran

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said that the United States has carried out an attack on three nuclear sites in Iran, including the Fordow uranium enrichment facility. "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social later shared by the White House. "All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home," he said. "Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this." The U.S. president went on to say that "NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!" The Fordow uranium enrichment facility is widely believed to be one of Israel's most critical targets in its ongoing conflict with Iran. Israel was informed in advance of the U.S. strike on Iran, according to the Israeli army radio station, which cited Israeli officials. The usually well-informed Israeli journalist Barak Ravid also reported on X that US B-2 stealth bombers were used in the operation, citing a senior Israeli official. B-2 stealth bombers, which only the US military has, are the only aircraft capable of dropping the 13.6-ton "bunker buster" bomb. This has been the focus of attention for days because, according to experts, only this weapon has a chance of destroying Iran's underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordow. Trump had said on Thursday that he would decide within the following two weeks on possible U.S. involvement in the hostilities between Israel and Iran, which started just more than a week ago. On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post had reported, citing government officials and flight tracking services, that several US B-2 stealth bombers had left Whiteman Air Force Base in the state of Missouri and headed west across the Pacific Ocean. The Wall Street Journal reported that this was a sign that the U.S. government was positioning the stealth bombers in case of a possible attack on Iran. However, government officials had said that there had been no order to prepare for an attack. Israel says its campaign launched on June 13 is aimed at preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon - a charge that Tehran has consistently denied, saying its nuclear program only serves civilian purposes. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.

The Hill

24 minutes ago

• The Hill

5 takeaways as US enters war with Iran, strikes nuclear sites

President Trump announced Saturday night that the United States has bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, engaging U.S. forces in a war that Israel launched two weeks ago. In a brief address on Saturday night, Trump warned of continued U.S. attacks on Iran if 'peace does not come quickly.' 'This cannot continue,' he said, flanked by Vice President Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 'There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,' Trump said. The White House had said on Thursday that Trump would make a decision on bombing Iran within two weeks, but B-2 bombers started crossing the Pacific on Saturday afternoon. Trump announced the 'very successful' strikes in a Truth Social post around 8 p.m. EDT Saturday. In his remarks on Saturday night, the president said those facilities 'have been completely and totally obliterated.' Here are the key takeaways on the bombings: In his Truth Social post, Trump said 'a full payload of BOMBS' was dropped on Iran's primary nuclear enrichment plant, Fordow — a deep underground facility viewed as key to Tehran's nuclear program — as well as on Natanz and Isfahan. Fox News's Sean Hannity, who said he spoke with the president, reported that six 'bunker buster' bombs were dropped on the Fordow facility, and that 30 tomahawk missiles were fired at Natanz and Isfahan from submarines hundreds of miles away. Trump, in his address, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine would give a press conference on the strikes at 8 a.m. EDT Sunday. Experts say the 30,000-pound bunker busters, officially known as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, could penetrate the mountain where Fordow is located, had reportedly been requested by Israel. In the hours before the U.S. unleashed airstrikes, the Defense Department reportedly moved B-2 bombers, the only aircraft capable of dropping the GBU-57, from their holding base in Missouri to across the Pacific to Guam. Iranian officials and state media have confirmed the bombings, but said the three nuclear facilities had previously been evacuated. The immediate response from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pointed to the deep divisions over whether the U.S. should enter a new war in the Middle East. 'This is not Constitutional,' Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) posted on X. Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) struck a similar note, referencing Trump's post announcing the attacks, which said, 'Thank you for your attention to this matter.' 'According to the Constitution we are both sworn to defend, my attention to this matter comes BEFORE bombs fall. Full stop,' Himes wrote. Massie had sponsored legislation that would have required congressional approval for any strikes on Iran. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) reacted to the news during a rally in Tulsa, Okla., calling it 'grossly unconstitutional' after the crowd chanted 'no more war.' Leading Republicans and at least one Democrat were supportive of the attacks. 'The President's decisive action prevents the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, which chants 'Death to America,' from obtaining the most lethal weapon on the planet. This is America First policy in action,' Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) wrote on X. 'Good. This was the right call. The regime deserves it,' Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wrote on X. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), meanwhile, said Trump had made 'a deliberate —and correct— decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime.' Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) also backed the strikes. 'As I've long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS . Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities,' he wrote on X. Some 40,000 U.S. service members are spread out across the Middle East at bases in Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, offering Iran a broad opportunity to hit back at American citizens, equipment and interests. In the days before the U.S. strike on Iran, Tehran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any American military intervention in its conflict with Israel 'will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage.' And on Saturday, a news anchor on Iranian state television declared that Trump, 'started it, and we will end it,' seeming to refer to a larger conflict between Washington and Tehran. The broadcast also showed a graphic of American bases in the Middle East with the headline, 'Within the fire range of Iran,' as reported by The New York Times. Experts say Iran within hours could decide to launch a retaliatory strike on the nearby Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq or other locations closest to its borders, and within minutes of such a decision could have its missiles delivered. 'If [Iran] had the ballistic missiles ready to go, those strikes could happen in under 15 minutes. Launched to target,' retired Col. Seth Krummrich, vice president at security consultancy firm Global Guardian, told The Hill on Friday. A former Special Forces officer in Iraq and Afghanistan, Krummrich also predicted that if the U.S. were to use the GBU-57, 'you would see an Iranian missile strike aimed at one or multiple U.S. bases.' Tehran last significantly targeted U.S. troops in January 2020 after Trump, in his first term, ordered an airstrike that killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force. Iran reacted swiftly, days later hammering Al-Asad and another U.S. base in Erbil with 13 ballistic missiles in the largest such attack ever against U.S. forces abroad. No Americans were killed in the strikes but more than 100 were later diagnosed and treated for traumatic brain injuries. The strikes came less than 48 hours after Trump said he would make up his mind within two weeks, suggesting there was still time for a diplomatic solution. 'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiation that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go in the next two weeks,' Trump said in a statement read aloud by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday afternoon. The U.S. has reportedly maintained dialogue with Iranian officials since Israel first struck Iran on June 13, but Trump had expressed growing skepticism about the chances of a deal. Iran has reportedly agreed to resume direct talks with the U.S. after a meeting between European foreign ministers and Iran's top diplomat on Friday. This weekend saw a flurry of diplomatic activity across the Middle East. Ambassadors from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait on Saturday met with Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to express concerns about the consequences of a U.S. attack. It could take days for the U.S., Israel and IAEA to assess the damage from the U.S. strikes, which were carried out in close coordination with the Israeli Defense Forces. One of the key questions will be how much the U.S. strikes, together with over a week of Israeli attacks, have set back Tehran's nuclear program. Trump said in recent days he believed Iran was on the verge of being able to build a nuclear bomb, though U.S. intelligence agencies believed it would take more than a year for Tehran to turn enriched uranium into a usable nuclear weapon. Israeli officials have also suggested that regime change in Iran is among the goals of their war, and that Khamenei could be a target for assassination. Iran's supreme leader, believed to be hiding out in a bunker, has named three senior clerics to replace him should he die, according to The New York Times. On Iranian state television after the attacks, an anchor said, 'Mr. Trump, you started it, and we will end it,' along with a graphic of American bases in the Middle East within Iran's reach, according to the Times. Both Russia and China had condemned Israel's war on Iran and are certain to criticize the U.S. strikes too. However, Russia has shown little interest in sending military support to Iran.

USA Today

40 minutes ago

• USA Today

Where B-2 stealth bombers' mission to strike Iran started in the U.S.

U.S. Air Force B-2 stealth bombers deployed in the attack against Iran nuclear facilities, confirmed by President Donald Trump on June 21. A group of elite B-2 Spirit stealth bombers that took flight from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri early on the morning of June 21 headed for Iran, taking part in a mission to bomb three nuclear sites that President Donald Trump revealed hours later. The B-2 bombers conducted a series of strikes on targets in Iran, a senior Defense official confirmed. Those targets were Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan in Iran, the president revealed in a social media post just before 8 p.m. ET, saying it was a "very successful attack." How to watch President Donald Trump will address the nation at 10 p.m. ET The B-2s, valued at roughly $2 billion a piece, are known not only for their stealth technology, but for their ability to fly long range and carry big "bunker busting" bombs designed to penetrate deeply-buried bunkers and facilities. Whiteman Air Force Base, southeast of Kansas City, Missouri, is home to the entire fleet of 19 B-2 stealth bombers and proclaims it "can project U.S. airpower anywhere around the world from its home station." Its 509th Bomb Wing is part of the Air Force Global Strike Command. What is the B-2 Spirit? The B-2 Spirit is a long-range stealth bomber, equipped to carry the heaviest U.S. bombs and nuclear weapons. Its design and materials limit its ability to be detected by enemy radar. Its flying wing design, composite materials and coating reduce its radar cross section, according to an updated Congressional Research Service report released June 18. All B-2s are nuclear-capable, equipped to carry nuclear gravity bombs, but not cruise missiles, the Research Service stated. It's the only aircraft equipped to carry the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57, known as the "bunker buster" bomb. What are the B-2 Spirit's specifications? More: B-2 bomber returns home to Edwards AFB for upgrades on 35th anniversary of first flight How has the B-2 bomber been used? The bombers had been deployed at least once earlier in the year. Reuters, quoting unnamed U.S. officials, reported in April that as many as six bombers had been deployed to a U.S.-British military based on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. During Operation Allied Force, the B-2 was responsible for destroying 33% of all Serbian targets in the first eight weeks, flying nonstop to Kosovo from Missouri and back, according to the Air Force. During Operation Enduring Freedom, the B-2 flew from Whiteman to Afghanistan and back, the Air Force said. Its first ever combat deployment took place during Operation Iraqi Freedom, when it flew 22 sorties from a forward operating location, as well as 27 sorties from Whiteman. In total, the Air Force reported the bombers released more than 1.5 million pounds of munitions. In the waning days of the Obama administration in 2017, two B-2 bombers were among a fleet that dropped more than 100 bombs southwest of Sirte, Libya in strikes against the Islamic state and al-Qaeda terrorist targets. In October 2024, the U.S. attacked Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen with B-2 bombers. At the time, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strike by the bombers "was a unique demonstration of the United States' ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened or fortified." How does a bunker busting bomb work? Contributing: Reuters, Kim Hjelmgaard, John Bacon, Kathryn Palmer