Quantum Systems says grounded German military drones flying again after cyberattack

BERLIN, Nov 13 : German defence technology group Quantum Systems said drones in service with the German military were flying again after they were grounded as a precaution following a cyberattack last month.

The Financial Times reported on Thursday that the Bundeswehr had grounded drones made by Quantum Systems after the attack.

"The fleet is operating normally around the globe — including Germany and the Bundeswehr," a Quantum Systems spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "The Bundeswehr was the only customer to ground their systems as a precaution."

The Financial Times said the grounding had prevented Quantum Systems from taking part in a recent exercise with the military.

There was no immediate comment from the German military.

Quantum said "an active cyberattack by hostile actors" was detected in October but was contained by its IT and cybersecurity teams "in close and transparent collaboration with the authorities".

"Through the quick measures taken and the characteristics of the incident, there is no risk in operating Quantum Systems' unmanned systems for the end users and the operators," it said.

It was not immediately clear whether other companies may have been affected by the attack.

Quantum Systems signed a deal last month to supply Ukraine with jet interceptors.