Helsing rolls out Contra air defense design, plus two new inteceptors

WASHINGTON — Helsing, Germany’s highest-profile defense tech startup, today announced a new air defense system and a pair of new interceptor missiles.

Dubbed Contra, the company is billing its design as an “AI-controlled autonomous air defence system designed to protect countries from scaled drone and missile attacks,” according to a press release. Helsing also claims the system can track and engage “hundreds or thousands of drone and missile threats at the same time.”

The company says Contra can integrate with existing air defense interceptors and counter-drone systems. However, the firm also rolled out two new, container-launched interceptor designs it hopes customers will purchase with Contra. The AD-1 Inferno is jet-powered, “capable of aerial loitering, swarming, and repeated re-engagements.” The AD-2 Ambush uses a solid-rocket motor and can reach Mach 2.5, with a 20 km (around 12.5 miles) range, per the release.

The company did not provide hard cost estimates for the two missiles, saying only that the price will “significantly [undercut] those of existing missile interceptors.” There is currently a major push across NATO nations for lower-cost interceptors, with  Anduril, Lockheed Martin and CHAOS Industries all rolling out options in the last few weeks.

“Our AI links existing sensors and effectors in real time and adds our interceptors, AD-1 and AD-2,” Helsing President and co-Founder Niklas Köhlersaid in the announcement. “With jet and rocket propulsion, a low-cost all-weather radar seeker, and two independent European supply chains, they deliver autonomous fire superiority up to ten kilometres high – affordable and at industrial scale.”