Helsing presents a new type of drone, the HX-2. According to a recent press release from the company, the system is “software-based, mass-produced and swarm-capable – and an important milestone in Helsing’s mission to strengthen the security of democracies worldwide”.
The HX-2 is an electronically powered X-wing precision drone with a range of up to 100 kilometers. The use of artificial intelligence makes the drone resistant to electronic warfare and jamming. Features that are based on Helsing’s extensive experience in Ukraine (-> current news from the Ukraine war) were developed and tested. Helsing’s Altra reconnaissance and control software makes it possible to combine several HX-2 drones into swarms that are controlled by a human operator.
“HX-2 was designed from the ground up for mass production”, as von Helsing puts it, “with significantly lower unit costs than conventional systems”. The company therefore sees HX-2 as “a powerful addition to conventional artillery systems”. Helsing is currently building up production capacities in Europe.
Niklas Köhler, co-founder of Helsing, says: “With HX-2, we have created a new type of drone that combines mass with autonomy and extreme precision. Single HX-2s can reliably hit armored targets even in highly electromagnetically contested environments. When deployed on a large scale along land borders, HX-2 can also serve as an invasion shield against land forces.”
Gundbert Scherf, co-founder of Helsing, says: “The NATO urgently needs technology to protect the integrity of its eastern flank. At Helsing, we have invested in developing these capabilities to give NATO an advantage through mass and precision. HX-2 provides autonomy through the use of software and AI – all with complete human control and oversight. Electronic warfare threatened to undermine this, now we are giving control back to the operators.”
HX-2 is already being produced in Germany. The underlying software is currently being used in Ukraine.
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