Closing a Critical Capability Gap in Military Logistics

Staatssekretär Sebastian Hartmann visited ERC's Erding flight test facilities. The conversation: a specific operational gap that unmanned VTOL aircraft can close, and the German innovation ecosystem needed to deliver on it.

June 10, 2026
5
min read
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Maximilian Oligschläger
Chief Commercial Officer
LinkedIn

Unmanned VTOL Aircraft Can Close Critical Gaps in Military Logistics

Last week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Staatssekretär Sebastian Hartmann to our flight test facilities in Erding.

During the visit, we shared a first sneak peek of our upcoming unmanned product and discussed a clear capability gap in military logistics: delivering payloads <500 kg over significant range, autonomously, at high speed, and with vertical take-off and landing capability (see also study by European Defence Agency for Unmanned Aerial Logistics for this).

This is exactly where unmanned VTOL aircraft can create real operational value.

We also discussed the importance of strengthening Germany’s innovation ecosystem for dual-use and defense-relevant aerospace technologies.

Initiatives such as Bayern Innovativ GmbH and the "Innovationszentrum der Bundeswehr" play an important role in creating access, visibility, and opportunities for startups developing strategically relevant capabilities.

A big thank you to Sven L. Rochier, Patrick Albrecht, Christoph Heinen & Co for organizing yet another great dialogue and for continuously building bridges between startups, industry, and public stakeholders.

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