Bundeswehr is procuring HX-2 loitering munition, Helsing confirms

Helsing unveiled its AI-enabled HX-2 drone in December 2024. (Helsing )

The Bundeswehr has ordered HX-2 loitering munition, Simon Brünjes, Helsing's vice-president of sales, told international journalists including Janes at the company's Munich office on 9 July. He said the Bundeswehr's Koblenz-based Wehrtechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 51 technical centre was testing the system at an undisclosed location in Germany.

The Bundeswehr announced on its website on 17 April that two contracts for “a large number” of loitering munition had been signed. It said German combat troops would receive a large number of loitering munition early, test the systems, incorporate them into their tactics, and then provide feedback. The Bundeswehr leadership will decide from the results of comprehensive testing beginning in 2025 whether to procure a larger number of systems or possibly consider additional suppliers or alternative systems.

Brünjes said on 9 July that the results of the tests would be completed by the end of 2025 and that they had been accelerated by the Bundeswehr reprioritising its trials schedule.

On 13 February, Helsing announced the completion of its first ‘resilience factory' in southern Germany, which according to Brünjes can produce 450 HX-2s a month and could be ramped up to 1,000 a month. He added that a planned second plant would increase Helsing's capacity to 2,500 HX-2s a month.

He estimated the Bundeswehr's HX-2 requirements at 120,000 to last for the 60 days it would take to ramp up production if a war broke out, with 200,000 required to ensure that 120,000 would be available to account for losses if depots were bombarded.