Helsing unveils Contra autonomous air defence and two interceptors

Military AI company Helsing has unveiled Contra, an AI-controlled autonomous air defence system meant to protect against large-scale drone and missile attacks, alongside two new interceptor missiles, AD-1 Inferno and AD-2 Ambush. The announcement, made in Berlin, describes Contra as fusing sensors and effectors into a single air picture to allow detection and engagement of hundreds or thousands of threats at once, while keeping users in control of decision-making and prioritization. It is built on Helsing's existing Altra command-and-control platform.

Helsing points to intelligence reports it cites, which it says show Russia has increased production of jet-powered drones and cruise missiles, with output of Geran-4 and Geran-5 jet drones alone rising to 4,000 units a month, and that additional launch sites are being built that would bring parts of the EU within range.

AD-1 Inferno is a jet-powered interceptor capable of loitering, swarming, and repeated engagements, while AD-2 Ambush is a solid-rocket-motor missile intended for rapid intercepts, reaching Mach 2.5 with a range of over 20 kilometers. Both are container-launched, receive mid-course guidance from Contra's radar ground stations, and carry onboard radar seekers for all-weather terminal guidance. Helsing says both will be mass-produced at its Resilience Factories at prices that significantly undercut existing interceptors, and that Contra can integrate third-party interceptors, lasers, guns, or net-based systems within days.

Why it matters

It shows European defense firms racing to field autonomous counter-drone systems as drone and missile threats scale up.

Source: Helsing