Ukraine has suspended new orders for the HX-2 attack drone, developed by the German company Helsing, after frontline testing revealed launch failures, reliability issues, and limitations in promised artificial intelligence capabilities.
The evaluations were conducted by the 14th Ukrainian Regiment, specialized in unmanned systems, and documented in an internal presentation by the German Army, analyzed by Bloomberg.
According to the document, the tested drones lacked several expected features, such as AI-based terminal guidance, intermediate navigation, and visual target acquisition. Additionally, electronic warfare interference reportedly disrupted communication between the operator and the drone, while mechanical failures in the launch catapult reduced the success rate during combat deployment attempts.
In light of this, Germany decided to halt further orders for the HX-2 until Ukraine formally reaffirms its interest in the system. The drones are part of the military aid package funded by Berlin and delivered to Ukrainian forces. However, Helsing contested the findings of the report, stating that they had not seen the document and that the initial performance of the HX-2 was considered promising by Ukrainian units.
The problems faced by the HX-2 highlight the rapid pace of innovation and replacement of drones in the Ukrainian conflict, where systems are quickly tested and adapted to real-world combat conditions. While Helsing claims the model performed well in tests conducted outside Ukraine, experts point out that many Western-made systems struggle when exposed to the demanding conditions of electronic warfare and modern battlefields.
Source: Defence Blog | Photo: X @Jeff21461 | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
🇺🇦🇩🇪 Bloomberg reports that Ukraine and Germany have suspended further orders for the HX-2 Loitering Munition from the German-based Helsing after tests by the 1st UAS Center (14th regiment) found several problems with it during testing.
According to an internal presentation of… pic.twitter.com/CjDp2CXclX
— Jeff2146🇧🇪 (@Jeff21461) January 19, 2026
