Germany is reportedly set to begin large-scale deliveries of suicide drones to Ukraine. These drones possess high autonomy under electronic warfare conditions and can effectively strike targets at significant distances.
This was reported by the German newspaper Bild, citing its sources and statements from Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, calling the drones “mini-Taurus“.
– Helsing is a German company specializing in defense technology that develops software and incorporates artificial intelligence into military systems. It collaborates with leading defense manufacturers such as SAAB and Rheinmetall and has been active in Ukraine since 2022.
It is noted that these are HX-2 Karma kamikaze drones, which have high autonomy in the face of jamming and can very effectively hit targets at a considerable distance through the use of artificial intelligence technology.
According to Bild’s sources, some prototypes are allegedly already being tested in real combat conditions in eastern Ukraine and are being improved based on the results.
It is noted that the drone’s feature was modern software that helped it navigate the terrain using many “markers” and fly to the target even in difficult weather conditions, as well as the influence of electronic warfare.
Once the drone has identified the target and the operator has confirmed it, it is then able to strike autonomously, even if communication is lost, i.e., apparently, a homing system is used at the final part of the flight.
The German publication also states that the range of this kamikaze drone is allegedly four times longer than that of typical Ukrainian counterparts.
However, it is worth noting that the article does not specify which specific drones are used for comparison. However, it is stated that they were significantly cheaper than the American Switchblade and Russian Lancet drones.
The company has reportedly received an order for 4,000 such drones for Ukraine. Starting in December, they may begin arriving in batches of several hundred per month.
Some prototypes are said to be already undergoing testing and refinement in real combat conditions in Eastern Ukraine.
On February 24, Alexander Kamyshin, Minister of Strategic Industries, and Gundbert Scherf, CEO and co-founder of Helsing GmbH, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate in the security and defense sector.
Sources: MILITARNYI; UNITED24MEDIA