AI-enabled HX-2 ‘kamikaze’ drone for Ukraine
December 4, 2024
As first reported by Germany’s ‘Bild’ newspaper in November 2024, “Germany’s new superweapon for Ukraine” was praised by national defence minister Boris Pistorius, with plans revealed to send some 4,000 units of the “software-based, mass-producible, and swarm-capable” expendable drones to Ukraine.
Although further details of unit cost or delivery timelines remain undisclosed, Helsing revealed that the HX-2 can be manufactured “at significantly lower unit cost than conventional systems,” with ongoing production in Europe now in the process of ramping up.
“With HX-2, we are creating a new smart effector category that combines mass, autonomy and precision,” stated Helsing co-founder Niklas Köhler. “Individual HX-2s can reliably engage armoured targets in highly contested environments. When deployed along borders at scale, HX-2 can serve as a powerful counter invasion shield against enemy land forces”.
Weighing around 12kg, the X-wing drone features multiple payload options including armour-penetrating shell charges and offers a maximum speed of 220km/hr.
Augmenting the drone’s range of up to 100km, “advanced on-board AI enables full electronic warfare and jamming resistance, capabilities developed and tested through Helsing’s extensive experience in Ukraine,” continues its developer.
When operating as part of Helsing’s Altra recce/strike software, multiple units can assemble into swarms, controlled by single human operators. “HX-2 is providing autonomy through software and AI – while retaining full control and oversight,” added Helsing co-founder Gundbert Scherf, with Helsing stating: “We believe in the principle that a human needs to be in or on the loop for all critical decisions, and we know that enforcing this principle requires conviction and technological leadership, especially in the face of adversaries taking shortcuts”.
“Electronic warfare had threatened to erode this ability to act, and we are giving this ability back to operators,” concluded Scherf.
