Overview
- The Bundeswehr has run a pilot of the Circus Group CA‑1 at the Hugo‑Junkers‑Kaserne since April and will continue the test at least until the end of the year.
- Circus Group says the fully autonomous unit cooks end‑to‑end on seven square metres with two robot arms, ingredient silos, sensors that substitute for human senses, rotating pots and eight output compartments.
- The company reports the CA‑1 prepared a few thousand meals at the barracks and plans roughly 50 installations by the end of 2026 while also testing deployments with Ukrainian ground troops.
- Circus Group lists a purchase price of about €265,000 for the large CA‑1 and service costs up to €8,000 a month, with power needs similar to several large refrigerators and limited human roles for refilling and cleaning.
- Hospitality groups welcome help for routine tasks but warn robots cannot replace professional cooks, and the Bundeswehr has so far treated the machine as an additional catering option and made no procurement decision.