Drone Wars: Germany Deploys 4,000 AI-Powered X-Wing Drones To Ukraine

Wes O'Donnell
7 min readDec 5, 2024
Courtesy Helsing.ai — Used with permission

Get ready for the Star Wars puns…

Move over, TIE Fighters — the battlefield has its own Rebel tech now. Germany’s Helsing has officially started production of the HX-2 kamikaze drone, a machine straight out of a Star Wars fever dream, designed to boost Ukraine’s military as it faces off against Russian aggression.

This AI-enabled, x-wing-configured marvel is set to deliver thousands of strikes against enemy forces, with 4,000 units scheduled for deployment to Ukraine starting this December. Think of it as Poe Dameron’s X-Wing meeting the grim resolve of a one-way mission.

The Ukrainians have a lot in common with the rebel alliance from the original trilogy. Fighting for freedom against a tyrannical evil empire. Spoiler alert. The rebel alliance wins.

So, what’s this about a German-made X-Wing-shaped, AI-powered, kamikaze drone?

The HX-2 weighs just over 26 pounds (12 kilograms) and reaches speeds of 137 miles per hour (220 kilometers per hour), with a maximum range of 62 miles (100 kilometers). But don’t let its size fool you. This drone is more than just a flying explosive.

But, its true power lies in its AI.

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Wes O'Donnell
Wes O'Donnell

Written by Wes O'Donnell

US Army & US Air Force Veteran | Global Security Writer | Intel Forecaster | Law Student | TEDx Speaker | Pro Democracy | Pro Human | Hates Authoritarians

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