France, Germany, and UK Trial HX-2 Strike Drone Already Deployed by Ukraine

The armed forces of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and several other European nations are currently testing the cutting-edge HX-2 strike drone.

Simon Brünjes, Vice President of Sales at Helsing, announced this on July 9, as reported by Hartpunkt.

If the trials prove successful, they could pave the way for future procurement of the drone by these countries.

The German Bundeswehr aims to complete testing of the HX-2 by the end of the year.

According to Brünjes, the first HX-2 strike drones have already been delivered to Ukraine for qualification, which is expected to be completed within a few weeks.

Helsing has stated that it views its HX-2 as Europe’s answer to Russia’s Lancet drone, which the company considers a highly effective weapon.

According to company co-founder Gundbert Scherf, their goal is to make the HX-2 not only more powerful but also more affordable than the Lancet. The drone was designed from the ground up for mass production, with the aim of significantly lowering the unit cost compared to traditional systems.

Scherf reported that initial feedback from Ukraine indicates the HX-2 is considered “very cost-effective.” This assessment is likely due in part to the fact that the company receives no financial profit from supplying the HX-2 to Ukraine.

Currently, Helsing is capable of producing 450 HX-2 units per month at its Resilience Factory (RF-1) located in southern Germany. This capacity can be increased to 1,000 systems per month, though it would require additional personnel training.

Additionally, the company is preparing to build a second Resilience Factory, which could increase the total monthly production capacity to approximately 2,500 HX-2 units.

According to Helsing, the HX-2 has a flight range of 100 kilometers. It weighs up to 12 kilograms and has a maximum speed of up to 220 km/h during its final approach to the target.

The drone can be equipped with various types of munitions weighing up to 4 kilograms, designed to engage armored vehicles or strike fortified positions.