Photo: HF-1 drone (x.com/julianroepcke) Author: Natalia Kava
The Ukrainian military has begun using HF-1 strike loitering munitions with artificial intelligence. They are produced by the German defense company Helsing.
RBC-Ukraine reports this with reference to BILD.
According to the publication, about 1,000 of these drones were delivered to Ukraine. And in the publication's video, you can see Special Operations Forces fighters working with the drones. The drones were tested in the Sumy region.
“The plane can be in the air for about an hour, during which time we must find a target. Depending on the direction, wind strength, and cloud height, we can fly to a certain distance,” said one of the fighters.
According to him, they use the HF-1 against a number of different targets: from armored vehicles and air defense systems to logistics and warehouses.
As another military man said, they work with the HF-1 at a range of about 45-50 km. This distance is optimal, and that is why the drone allows the Russians to make “very unpleasant surprises.” This is also due to the fact that the drone can fly to places where the enemy feels relatively calm, and also hit equipment at parking places, during advancement to the line of contact, and so on.
The military said that the drone is equipped with a guidance system that helps to capture the target and hold it until it is destroyed. Thus, if the connection between the operator and the drone is lost, it reaches the target and destroys it.
“We are currently working with a system where the pilot finds a target, locks on to that target, and the aircraft hits it. It's not a question of a person or automation, it's a question of us bringing the aircraft to the target, and in the guidance mode, the aircraft is not affected by the electronic warfare that may be installed on the equipment. From the moment the target is locked on, the aircraft takes control and is brought to the target independently,” the military says.
What is known about HF-1
These drones are made of plywood, which makes their production much cheaper.
“The material the plane is made of does not matter in principle and you can use any material as long as it flies. It can be made of wood, foam, completely 3D printed, and so on. It does not matter for the plane. In our case, the fact that it is made of wood makes it even better, since it is radio transparent and allows it to work better over long distances,” the video says.
The HF-1 can stay in the air for up to an hour, which allows it to monitor and strike enemy targets for a long time, in particular air defense and armored vehicles.
Thanks to the presence of artificial intelligence, the HF-1 drone can independently analyze the situation and select optimal targets for attack. This makes it an effective tool on the battlefield, especially in modern military conflicts, where reaction speed and accuracy of actions are critical.
HF-1 for Ukraine
In early January, it became known that Germany had updated the release of military aid that had been transferred to Ukraine. It indicated the transfer of 600 HF-1 attack drones.
We also wrote that the German startup Helsing plans to supply the Armed Forces of Ukraine with another six thousand HF-1 unmanned aerial vehicles with artificial intelligence.
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