Photo: defence-ua.com
German company Helsing is ramping up manufacture of its HX-2 loitering munition and delivering large batches to Ukraine. Industry sources say Kyiv has placed two orders totaling 10,000 units, and Helsing aims to raise output to about 2,500 drones per month — a pace that would push the project into mass production and rapid frontline deployment.
The HX-2 has stood out in comparative trials, reportedly achieving a streak of successful launches and benefiting from months of intensive testing, including weekly flights to refine systems and boost reliability. Analysts say that rigorous testing helps explain the platform’s high success rate in trial conditions.
Technically, the HX-2 is described as a roughly 12 kg loitering munition with up to a 4 kg warhead, four engines, and a top speed near 220 km/h. It can engage targets at ranges of around 100 km and employs autonomous navigation capabilities — including GNSS‑denied modes that match maps and imagery — while retaining a human operator to confirm target selection before attack.
If the reported orders and production increase materialize, the HX-2 would significantly expand Ukraine’s tactical strike drone capacity and mark Helsing as a notable competitor in the market for AI‑enabled loitering munitions.
