German army prepares to develop deep-strike drones, Handelsblatt reports

BERLIN (Reuters) -The German armed forces are preparing to develop long-range combat drones capable of striking targets deep in enemy territory, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Monday.

Three consortia are working on concrete concepts after the Luftwaffe airforce sent a request for deep-strike drones to leading defence companies and startups, the report said.

According to the report, Airbus Defence is contributing to the project alongside U.S. startup Kratos, while Germany's Rheinmetall has teamed up with drone specialist Anduril. Munich-based startup Helsing is also involved, the report said.

The German defence ministry confirmed preparations for such a project to Handelsblatt, saying that initial talks had taken place but that no formal tender had been issued.

The ministry and the companies mentioned did not respond to emailed requests for comment from Reuters.

(Writing by Friederike Heine, Editing by Rachel More)