By BlueShift and AFP | 2026-06-05

German defense tech start-up Helsing and space technology group OHB are working together to develop an AI-powered surveillance and targeting system for use in outer space.

Countries worldwide have been pouring more money into building up their space defenses, including Germany, which last year unveiled its first national space security strategy amid rising threats from Russia and potentially China.

Through the joint venture, the two firms are taking the lead in a broader consortium to develop the space-based satellite system, with the KIRK project.

"Space has become a decisive dimension of modern warfare," Helsing and OHB said in a May 18 statement announcing the project.

"As traditional reconnaissance alone is no longer sufficient, the consortium is developing a space-based tactical surveillance and reconnaissance solution and combining it with an AI-based targeting system."

"This enables near-real-time targeting and forms the basis for the employment of modern stand-off weapons."

Artificial intelligence will be used to manage the system and improve its capabilities, they said.

Helsing, known for making high-tech attack drones, provides AI capabilities, including data processing and target recognition, for the project.

OHB produces full space systems for tasks ranging from Earth observation to reconnaissance.

Two other companies in the consortium, Germany's Hensoldt and Norway's Kongsberg, make other products, including small satellites and specialized sensors.

Germany's biggest defense group Rheinmetall is also expanding into the space sector, last year establishing a joint venture with Finnish satellite maker ICEYE.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius recently announced plans for the armed forces to spend 35 billion euros ($41 billion) by 2030 on space defense.

Integrated defense systems

European countries have been racing to bolster their militaries since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

"The war in Ukraine demonstrates how important space-based targeting is," said Helsing co-founder and co-CEO Gundbert Scherf.

"It also shows that we have no time to lose and must deliver integrated defense systems in space -- systems whose performance is built on software capabilities -- as quickly as possible."

Earlier in May, Rheinmetall and telecommunications operator Deutsche Telekom announced plans to jointly develop a "defense shield" to protect against drones and sabotage.

Germany and other European countries have faced a surge in acts of suspected sabotage and incursions by unidentified drones in recent years, with Russia believed to be behind many of the incidents.

On May 30, flights were suspended for around an hour at Munich airport due to a suspected drone sighting, police and airport authorities said.

Two pilots reported a suspicious incident involving what appeared to be drones.

Protecting critical infrastructure

"The current geopolitical situation has placed the protection of critical infrastructure... in sharp focus," with a steady increase in "threats from sabotage and drone activity," Rheinmetall said in a statement.

Protecting sensitive facilities such as airports, power plants, shipping ports and military installations is the primary focus of the initiative, the companies said.

Rheinmetall and Deutsche Telekom plan to develop technologies to counter a wide range of attacks against such sites using a "multi-threat protection approach" that includes cybersecurity and the physical protection of facilities.

"The threat posed by drones is highly digital. This is why effective defense requires a combination of sensors, effectors, and secure communication networks," Rheinmetall's chief executive Armin Papperger said.

Rheinmetall entered into a partnership in 2025 with the city-state of Hamburg for drone protection of the city's port, Germany's largest.

Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Hoettges said the company was "elevating drone defense to a new level" thanks to its "expertise in connectivity, cloud, and data analytics."

Since 2017, Deutsche Telekom has been working with German authorities on drone security, and was involved in detecting illegal drone flights during the 2024 European Football Championships, which were hosted in Germany.