Helsing, the technological gem of defense AI in Europe, has just reached a new milestone. With a partner manufacturing minidrones whose identity has not been revealed, they will deliver to the Ukrainian forces 4,000 machines which will carry Helsing's artificial intelligence software. “The first deliveries will start from the end of the year and will end in spring 2025”specifies Antoine de Braquilanges, general director of Helsing France. The amount of the contract is kept secret.
The strength of this attack drone system mainly lies in its onboard AI software. Resistant to electromagnetic jamming, the drone can continue to navigate without a GPS signal by using image analysis algorithms coupled with onboard map data, until it detects a target and identifies it. Helsing was able to test the robustness of its software for 18 months on drones during the conflict in Ukraine.
With subsidiaries in Paris, Berlin and London, Helsing is the technological nugget of defense AI in Europe. According to its managers, the company, created in 2021, has already raised 788 million euros and has a valuation of around 5 billion euros. A record for a defense start-up in Europe. The company, which has 350 employees including 70 in France, has also opened offices in Ukraine and Estonia.
Swarms of drones
This contract for Helsing demonstrates its ability to couple its software with large-scale production of military equipment. “We are seeing a wave emerging in the defense industry that makes it possible to reconcile mass and technology, that is to say the capacity to produce objects, drones, missiles, etc. on a large scale, augmented by artificial intelligence. They are optimized to operate on-board AI and above all capable of being mass-produced at low cost», Explains the manager of Helsing France. The company says it can produce several thousand units of the drone per month. It is aiming for a price for its drone compatible with the requirements of European armies, comparable to the price of the Russian Lancet drone similar in terms of capabilities, between 35,000 and 40,000 dollars each.
Furthermore, Helsing unveiled a new 100% homemade attack drone on December 2. Called HX-2, this drone is equipped at the rear with a fin in the shape of a Saint Andrew's cross and has a range of around a hundred kilometers thanks to an electric motor. Via a reduced launch pad, it can be operated by a single soldier. “The HX-2 is designed from the ground up on a software basis. It can be mass produced and can fly in swarms. details the company in the press release announcing the availability of the drone. Manufacturing has already started.
The young company also relies on partnerships to promote its technology. It has already attracted major European defense players. In the field of air combat, it has established collaborations with the European consortium Eurofighter and the Swedish Saab around respectively the electronic warfare suite and the autonomy of their fighter planes. In the field of land combat, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces was pleased that Helsing technology made it possible to improve the precision of Caesar cannons manufactured by KNDS France.
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