Germany invests in ‘spy cockroaches’

(MENAFN) Germany is ramping up its defense spending and embracing advanced military technologies—including AI-driven robots and surveillance-enabled cockroaches—as part of its broader strategy to modernize its armed forces, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

According to interviews with over two dozen industry insiders and officials, Germany is positioning itself to become a leader in European rearmament. Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently unveiled plans to raise the country’s defense budget to €153 billion ($180 billion) by 2029—up from €86 billion in 2025. He also committed to spending 3.5% of GDP on defense, citing growing threats from Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected these claims, calling fears of Russian aggression “nonsense” and accusing NATO of manufacturing alarm to justify soaring military expenditures.

Germany’s modernization push places a strong focus on artificial intelligence and start-up innovation. A new draft law approved by the cabinet this week aims to accelerate procurement for emerging defense technologies, enabling faster development of advanced tools such as robotic tanks, unmanned submarines, and even insect-based surveillance systems.

Startups like AI-focused Helsing in Munich, as well as major defense firms like Rheinmetall and Hensoldt, are at the forefront of this technological transformation, Reuters noted.

However, critics argue that escalating military expenditures could stretch Germany’s budget and further harm an economy already under pressure from energy costs, Western sanctions on Russia, and trade friction with the United States.

Germany has become the second-largest supplier of arms to Ukraine—trailing only the U.S.—since the conflict with Russia intensified in February 2022. Moscow has repeatedly condemned Western arms deliveries as provocative and warned that Berlin’s policies risk reigniting military conflict between Germany and Russia, decades after WWII.

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