Helsing, a UK-based defence technology firm, today revealed its new HX-2 drone, an AI-enabled autonomous system designed to balance affordability with operational precision and scalability, claim the company.
The launch took place at the Honourable Artillery Company in London alongside Defence Secretary John Healey, coinciding with the unveiling of the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Defence Industrial Strategy.
The HX-2, positioned as a mass-producible solution for modern defence needs, represents an evolution in autonomous systems. Designed for rapid deployment and precise targeting, the firm say that the drone reflects lessons learned from recent conflicts, notably in Ukraine, where speed, adaptability, and affordability have been crucial in military operations.
Speaking at the event, Defence Secretary John Healey underscored the importance of technological innovation in strengthening national defence capabilities. He remarked:
“The Ukraine conflict has demonstrated that a nation’s armed forces are only as strong as the industry and innovation behind them. Industrial production doesn’t just support good jobs and economic growth but can determine the outcomes of conflicts and the strength of our deterrence.”
Healey praised Helsing’s £350 million investment over the next five years, which includes establishing a high-efficiency manufacturing facility in the UK to produce the HX-2 and similar systems. He added:
“It’s great to see Helsing leading the way by establishing its factories of the future here in the UK, to mass-produce tens of thousands of low-cost but highly capable AI-enabled systems. Private sector investments like this will support new jobs, boost economic growth, and develop the technological advantage and industrial resilience at the heart of our Defence Industrial Strategy.”
Helsing’s Managing Director, Amelia Gould, highlighted how the HX-2 reflects emerging priorities in defence technology. She said:
“Our Armed Forces deserve the most modern technology, deployed at the fastest pace. Ukraine has shown that defence tech can combine precision and speed with mass and affordability. This needs investment in a new production system, and I welcome the government’s leadership on this for the UK’s security and prosperity.”
The HX-2 is part of the MOD’s broader strategy to bolster sovereign defence manufacturing capabilities, with a focus on building resilience, creating local jobs, and ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of defence innovation.
The Defence Industrial Strategy, launched in tandem with the HX-2, seeks to transform how the UK produces and deploys defence equipment. The MOD’s focus includes leveraging public-private partnerships to enhance technological capabilities and support industrial resilience amid growing global instability.
The drone, capable of precision strikes and rapid deployment, is expected to contribute to both national security and the UK’s growing defence export market.
Further details on Helsing’s investment and the HX-2 are expected in the coming weeks, including plans for its UK-based manufacturing facility.
German government seems to claim Helsing is a German based company on new releases about HX-2 and this claims they are UK based.
Since when is Helsing UK based? Its website claims its HQ is in Munich. It’s also set to provide hundreds of German HX-2s to Ukraine via the German government later this month. I know there’s a helsing UK, but saying it’s based here is stretching it.
I know it would be nice to be ordering lots of big shiny expensive new things like vehicles and aircraft. But the reality is they take years to arrive. If we need a truly rapid build up of capability then it needs to be done by thinking smaller. That’s what this is I think, not a replacement for ordering a true IFV for instance, but something we can produce in volume almost immediately and that will be useful.
“Informing decisions….”
Will we buy any without another 5 year appraisal when we go round in circles, by which time it is obsolete.