Armament: Helsing drone jet beats real pilots in simulator
Munich drone manufacturer Helsing is likely making progress with its unmanned combat jet. However, there are also security concerns regarding the use of AI in the defense framework.
Munich - In a demonstration for Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) in Munich, the AI-powered Helsing drone jet outperformed real pilots in several simulated dogfights. "What you've accomplished in five, six years is phenomenal," the politician remarked. Helsing aims for its first test flight next year. Founded in 2021, the company now employs around 1,300 people, about seven times more than in 2024, according to company data.
The heart of the drone jet is an AI pilot named "Centaur". Two pilots - a former Bundeswehr pilot and a former Mexican Air Force pilot - were defeated by "Centaur" in the demonstration. The system is also being tested in real combat aircraft. Helsing's development process has been accelerated by its CTO, Robert Fink, as the machine is now trained in synthetic environments and no longer relies on real-world data from military surveillance, enemy aircraft, weather, wind conditions, and so on for simulations.
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- Armament: Helsing drone jet beats real pilots in simulator handelsblatt.com
