will deliver a dozen new operational Luna NG unmanned air systems to the German military from 2025, under a funding allocation approved by Berlin on 20 September.
The budget committee of the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, on 20 September approved a contract amendment for the procurement of the Luftgestützte Unbemannte Nahaufklärungs-Ausstattung Next Generation (LUNA NG) medium-range unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which is designated by the Bundeswehr as Hocheffizientes Unbemanntes System zur abbildenden Aufklärung mittlerer Reichweite (HUSAR). The Bundeswehr is procuring 12 LUNA NG UASs and a training system to replace current LUNA and Kleinfluggerät für Zielortung (KZO) UASs.
A LUNA NG system consists of five unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), two ground control stations in protected containers, maintenance and repair equipment, two launchers, and two recovery systems.
The amendment contract signed on 28 September 2023 by the President of Germany’s Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support, or BAAINBw, Annette Lehnigk-Emden, serves to continue the project with the new contractor Rheinmetall following the insolvency of the original system manufacturer. The amendment contract concretises the measures resulting from the takeover of the procurement contract by Rheinmetall. The takeover contract was already concluded in 2022.
The LUNA NG, a German acronym standing for “Air-supported Unmanned Short-range Reconnaissance Equipment, Next Generation”, will be known in the German armed forces as HUSAR. In all, twelve production systems have been ordered as well as a pilot system. The order is worth around €200 million (without value added tax). The first production system is due to be delivered in the second quarter of 2025. Also included in the order are a spare parts package and training support.
The HUSAR – as the name suggests – will be assigned to the German Army’s reconnaissance branch and also to the artillery. Another German acronym, HUSAR stands for “High-Efficiency Unmanned System for Medium-Range Reconnaissance”. Each system consists of five reconnaissance drones, two ground control systems, two launcher vehicles, two antenna masts, a repair shop and three transport platforms.
Experience gained in the war in Ukraine shows the decisive importance of real-time reconnaissance results at operational level. The LUNA NG was developed precisely for this purpose. It is one of the world’s newest systems for unmanned air-supported reconnaissance, classification and recognition of objects in real time.
Along with its outstanding performance parameters and type certification by Germany’s Federal Aviation Office, the LUNA NG is unique in its weight class, with a maximum take-off weight of 110 kilograms. Thanks to its aerodynamic, ultralight, high-stability design, the LUNA NG can remain aloft for over 12 hours.
Now official, the new order marks another important milestone for the UAV as well for Rheinmetall’s digitalization strategy. LUNA NG is a state-of-the-art sensor component for network-enabled operations which significantly enhances the effectiveness of the sensor-to-shooter chain. At the same time, the LUNA NG offers a basis for future development of the Rheinmetall product portfolio, including a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability and new tactical possibilities thanks to a payload capacity of over 30 kilograms.
Sources: Press Release; Janes