A video feature from the state-owned UNITED24 Media provides the first comprehensive insights into the real combat deployment of the modern German loitering munition HX-2, developed by the Munich-based arms and technology company Helsing.
On site, the camera crew accompanied soldiers of the Ukrainian 59th Brigade, who prepared the system under real frontline conditions, launched it, and directed it against Russian troops.
Precision strikes deep behind enemy lines
The system is used primarily for precision strikes deep behind enemy lines, where it specifically disrupts Russian logistics, ammunition transports, and troop movements. The soldiers report a high success rate: about 80 percent of launched drones hit their target successfully.
The remaining 20 percent were attributed to faulty catapult launches or extreme signal losses. In a concrete case, the crew managed to destroy a Russian multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS), which was parked far away from its actual firing position – in an area that would be unreachable for conventional drone systems due to the distance.
According to the users, the drone features a long range of up to 88 kilometers, thereby significantly expanding the operational radius of the Ukrainian armed forces.
End-phase guidance with artificial intelligence
The defining core feature of the aircraft is its highly developed artificial intelligence for end-phase guidance (terminal guidance). This technology was specifically designed to counter the greatest threats in the modern drone war: enemy electronic warfare (jamming) as well as limitations imposed by the radio horizon.
Once the human operator has correctly detected and locked onto the target within the system, the internal AI takes over control. From that moment, the drone flies fully autonomously and remains immune to electronic jammers. Even if the radio link to the ground station is completely cut off in dense jamming, the HX-2 continues the flight precisely and reliably hits the selected target, potentially even a moving one.
Source: @UNITED24media
Support and further development
Beyond frontline deployment, the documentation also shows the training of new operators at the 411th Regiment “Hawks.” There, both experienced drone pilots and newcomers are intensively trained on the German system within a few weeks before they are deployed to the front. The feedback from Ukrainian soldiers paints a picture of a reliable tool.
Although there are occasional manufacturing defects in propellers or launch mechanisms, the operators highlight the manufacturer Helsing’s exceptional around-the-clock support and the direct accessibility of the instructors. The only major improvement requested from the front is the integration of a larger warhead, which the company says it is already working on.
Author: Gerhard Heiming, defense economics editor
