Rüstungsindustrie: Helsing-Drohnenjet schlägt im Simulator echte Piloten

Munich-based drone and software firm Helsing has made significant strides in the development of its unmanned combat jet, according to its own statements. During a demonstration for Digital Minister Karsten Freiberger (CDU) in Munich, the AI-driven machine emerged victorious in several aerial combat simulations against genuine pilots.

"What you've accomplished in five, six years is phenomenal," remarked the politician. Helsing aims to conduct the first test flight of the aircraft next year. The company, founded in 2021, now employs approximately 1,300 people, a sevenfold increase from the 2024 count. The core of the drone jet is a KI-pilot named "Centaur." At the demonstration, two pilots - a former Bundeswehr pilot with extensive test flight experience and a former pilot of the Mexican Air Force - battled against "Centaur" and lost multiple times.

The system is also being tested in actual fighter jets. "Synthetic AI" has dramatically accelerated the development process, according to Helsing's Head of Technology Robert Fink. The machine now also undergoes training in synthetic environments, which do not rely on real-world data such as military footage of the Earth's surface, enemy aircraft, weather, wind conditions, and so on.

Instead, users input desired parameters from terrain to time of day and visibility, after which the "synthetic AI" generates those environments. "Synthetic AI is a variant of Artificial Intelligence," Fink explained. "In terms of images and language, it has already been successfully and regularly applied." Helsing has ensured that the AI of the company cannot cause harm to external computer systems.

The Helsing software thus does not have the ability to break out of its limited military environment. Unlike the AI models discussed widely in the media by American startups, the synthetic training AI from Helsing does not possess all the capabilities of a computer, Fink stated. Helsing is no longer considered a startup but a Neo Prime - a software-centric young company that competes with established defense firms.

In a recent fundraising round in July, the company raised $1.8 billion in investor funds. In June 2025, Helsing acquired the Bavarian aerospace company Grob, which specializes in lightweight aircraft development. The aircraft is expected to be eleven meters long and weigh four tons at takeoff.