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Germany sends more UAVs to Ukraine

By Tamara Rozouvan |

Helsing's HF-1 strike UAV being presented to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a photo released, as fresh German military assistance was announced on 14 January 2025. (Helsing)

The German government has sent 739 more strike and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Ukraine, it said in a 14 January update to its overall rolling aid programme.

According to the press release by the German Federal Government, the supply includes 600 HF-1 strike UAVs, 50 Vector reconnaissance UAVs with spare parts, 46 RQ-35 Heidrun reconnaissance UAVs, and 43 Songbird reconnaissance UAVs.

HF-1

Helsing's HF-1 strike UAV can operate in contested electromagnetic environments and be produced en masse. It is also easily transportable, according to information provided by the company. The strike drone was produced in co-operation with Ukrainian companies. The electronics and artificial intelligence (AI) components of the UAV were developed in Helsing facilities while the airframe was produced in Ukraine. The UAV was certified by the Ukrainian government as “resistant to global positioning system (GPS) jamming”, said Helsing. In early December 2024 the company announced on its social media pages that it had created a software called Altra, which uses AI to map terrain without global navigation satellite services (GNSS) co-ordinates. At the time, Helsing also said that it plans to equip the HF-1 and HX-2 models with the new software.

Vector

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