Germany Unveils "scout Bugs" For NATO Armed Forces

• 27.02.2026, 23:23

The technology has already arrived to customers, including the Bundeswehr.

German defense company SWARM Biotactics has announced the start of using programmable cyborg insect swarms in the interests of the armed forces of NATO countries. According to the company's CEO Stephan Wilhelm, after successful field trials in Europe and the United States, the technology has already been delivered to customers, including the Bundeswehr, writes Defense News Army.

These are so-called biohybrid systems in which living organisms (in this case, insects) act as a mobile platform. They are equipped with miniature electronic "backpacks" with cameras, sensors, communication and neurostimulation modules. Using electrical impulses, the operator can remotely control the movement of the insect, directing it in the desired direction.

The main purpose of the development is to conduct reconnaissance in the so-called "last 50 meters": in confined spaces, densely populated urban areas, tunnels and underground utilities, where the use of traditional microdrones is limited due to noise, air currents from propellers or the impossibility of using satellite navigation.

As explained by the developers, the logic behind the creation of such systems lies in the following. The engineers' task comes down to creating a reliable control interface and miniaturizing the payload.

The company emphasizes that the main advantage of the approach is the ability to scale through breeding rather than factory production. This has the potential to change the economics and logistics of applying expendable reconnaissance assets to urban operations. At the same time, SWARM Biotactics recognizes that the use of biological components imposes special requirements for controlling breeding, biosafety and standardizing the characteristics of living platforms.