Ukraine rejects German HX-2 drones over critical flaw
Ukraine’s military has rejected new orders of German-made HX-2 strike drones from Helsing, citing critical flaws discovered on the battlefield, Bloomberg reports.
The HX-2 drones, designed with artificial intelligence to assist autonomous operations, experienced takeoff failures and were repeatedly disrupted by electronic warfare near the front lines, sources said. Only about 25% of the drones were able to launch successfully during frontline testing, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Helsing, a German startup, disputed the criticism, stating, “The hit rate of the first flights… is encouraging. We are confident HX-2’s test performance will translate well on the battlefield, including under electronic warfare conditions.”
The HX-2 combines fixed wings with quadcopter-style propellers and can strike targets up to 100 kilometers away. Helsing had previously signed a deal to supply Ukraine with 4,000 drones and plans to deliver an additional 6,000 AI-enabled UAVs.
The rejection casts uncertainty over further German drone deliveries until Ukraine expresses renewed interest.
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