Target drone Delta B-15 from Rheinmetall: Qinetiq completes first flight for the Bundeswehr

The Delta B15 recently took to the air successfully for the first time in Todendorf: at the training area there, Qinetiq Deutschland flew the target drone from Rheinmetall. The flight took place as part of the ATS programme of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces), the Uncrewed Aerial Training Services.

Even before that, the Delta B-15 had shown what it can do in Switzerland: during a live firing with Rheinmetall's Skyranger system. The group announced this on social media.

From Qinetiq's point of view, the flight was “an important step in the partnership between Qinetiq and Rheinmetall in the field of ground-based air defence” (GBAD). According to the company, the Bundeswehr selected the Delta B15 to meet its new GBAD requirements. Ongoing updates are to adapt the drone to new threats – for example the use of Shahed one-way attack drones, which is common in the war in Ukraine.

Key data of the target drone

Rheinmetall gives the Delta B-15 a wingspan of 1.5 metres and a length of 1.7 metres; it reaches speeds of up to 180 km/h. With an empty weight of 15 kilograms, it can carry a payload of up to five kilograms. It is intended for air defence training and resembles a common attack drone. It is to meet the requirements of NATO as well as those of the partner states of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI). In addition, it is to enable important training for the systems currently stationed in Germany.

What Qinetiq and Rheinmetall expect from the cooperation

For Qinetiq, Matthias Grögor, Head of Strategic Business Development there, said: “In cooperation with Rheinmetall, Qinetiq can expand its market position in the relevant procurement programmes of our customers in Germany. This means that we are already actively preparing today for weapon systems yet to be procured, always with a view to current threats and an outlook to the year 2035. The cooperation is part of our holistic Global Threat Representation Life Cycle approach, which we at Qinetiq implement worldwide as a service provider in exercises, from operational analysis to implementation.”

Speaking for Rheinmetall, Mark Robert Henning, managing director of Rheinmetall Technical Publications GmbH (Business Unit Rheinmetall Product and Airborne Solutions), said: “We are grateful that Qinetiq has commissioned us to supply the new target drones, which play an active role in the European Sky Shield Initiative. We look forward to intensifying our cooperation in this field, based on our extensive experience with target solutions for ground-based air defence exercises on the one hand and unmanned systems on the other.”

In conclusion, Henning stated: “The complexity and diversity of threats from the air are constantly evolving. At Rheinmetall, we continuously anticipate these developments and develop solutions to counter them.”