According to the German newspaper "Bild" German start-up Helsing, specializing in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles controlled by artificial intelligence (AI), signed a contract with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense in September 2024 for the supply of 4,000 combat drones. According to another German-language publication – newspaper "Neuye Zürcher Zeitung" - the production is carried out by a Ukrainian company in partnership with the Germans.
The purchase for the Ukrainian armed forces will be financed with funds from the German budget. Deliveries are expected to begin in December - several hundred units per month. Tests of unmanned aerial vehicles at the front have ended, but their improvement will continue "in the field". These are disposable kamikaze drones equipped with explosives.
What makes them different from regular kamikaze drones?
Usually unmanned kamikaze aircraft, which have become a standard strike weapon on the battlefield, are vulnerable in electronic warfare. It is not uncommon for the enemy to neutralize their work by creating radio interference: the drones lose contact with the operator or deviate from the course due to false coordinates and eventually fall before reaching their target. Helsing UAVs navigate the terrain with the help of artificial intelligence and can continue to move towards a target even in the event of a loss of communication. That's why in professional circles they are already called "mini Taurus", since the German TAURUS cruise missiles, which the German government still refuses to provide to Ukraine, also use autonomous guidance systems.
"The drone itself surveys the terrain, recognizes through thousands of landmarks exactly where it is and thus helps the operator to keep the course even in bad weather conditions or on terrain where there are destroyed objects. When the target is detected, the operator confirms it, and then the drone itself is directed to it," Bild quotes. one of the experts familiar with the tests of the latest drone. Homing is accurate even in RF jammed conditions.
According to "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" the difference between real TAURUS and "mini Taurus" is that the missile is programmed before launch to a certain static target, and the new drone in question uses artificial intelligence to recognize targets already in flight. It is programmed to identify Russian military equipment, but not only that. Artificial intelligence provides additional capabilities even compared to such powerful Western weapons as HIMARS, since the Russians have meanwhile learned not only to jam radio frequencies, but also to interfere with the GPS satellite navigation system used by HIMARS.
What is the range of the new drones?
"Build" says the AI drones have a range three to four times greater than the conventional kamikaze drones used by the Ukrainian military. There is no exact information on how far the new German drones can fly. The manufacturer refuses to answer such questions, citing military secrecy. The range of a standard FPV drone (virtual reality piloted drone) is on average 7 to 10 kilometers. So the flight range of the "mini Taurus" it can probably reach about 40 kilometers.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in an interview with "Bild" that with the new drones, the Ukrainian armed forces will be able to strike "particularly important military targets, such as Russian headquarters or logistics facilities". Usually, command centers and logistics facilities are located some distance from the front line, so standard FPV drones cannot reach them.
What power do they have and how much do they cost?
There is no data on the explosive power of the drone. According to "Bild" it is "equipped with enough explosives to destroy Russian tanks or shelters" and is also capable of hitting enemy vehicles in motion. Of course, the "mini Taurus" is significantly less powerful than the real TAURUS missile, which can penetrate thick concrete shelters. At the same time, we can assume that the new drone has a stronger explosive charge than ordinary FPV drones. Otherwise, their effectiveness would be questionable.
The price of an FPV drone is usually a few hundred euros. Apparently, the new German drone is significantly more expensive. However, the price is not officially named. Some guidance is given by the clarification of "Bild", which refers to informed sources, that the Helsing drone is cheaper than the Russian kamikaze drone "Lancet". which is estimated at 35,000 euros.