TO THE relief of commanders and the dismay of pacifists, Germany’s armed forces have crossed a threshold. On June 13th a Bundestag committee voted to approve the spending of nearly €1bn ($1.1bn) to lease from Israel five drones which can be equipped with deadly weapons. Hitherto Germany has been the only big Western country not to buy “killer robots”. In part this reflects antipathy to America’s use of remotely controlled missiles for “targeted killings” of terrorist suspects (and the people standing next to them) in places like Pakistan and Yemen.

The Israeli order does not instantly change that situation: the machines are described as “weaponisable” but not “weaponised”. A new decision will be needed to endow them with destructive power. However, critics and supporters feel their eventual use in combat is almost certain. In the words of Ulrike Franke, a German expert on unmanned aircraft, “It would be absurd to pay for the use of these expensive drones and then not to arm them.”

Combat in Afghanistan, where Germany has about 1,000 soldiers, has brought the drone debate to a head. German generals have felt frustrated in situations where they saw dangers facing their troops but could not react. However, German voters have dark memories of an air strike in Afghanistan in 2009, called in by their forces but executed by the Americans, in which civilians perished and their government had to compensate the bereaved.

The path to the Israeli deal has been tortuous. A year ago, Social Democratic partners in the ruling coalition abruptly withdrew their support; as a result of the delay, the price has risen.

In a few years, Germany may no longer have to turn to foreign suppliers for remote-controlled air power. It is the prime mover in the so-called Eurodrone project, working with France, Italy and Spain to construct a pilotless plane and boost the continent’s aerospace skills. German governments can tell a squeamish electorate that the new machine’s missile-firing feature is being included only in deference to more belligerent partners; they will retain the option of ordering a version that simply looks rather than shoots. Few people will believe that, but it may be a politically necessary fiction.