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

Helsing's The AD-1 Inferno and AD-2 Ambush interceptors. (Helsing)

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.”

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赫尔辛的AD-1“炼狱”和AD-2“伏击”拦截机。（赫尔辛）

华盛顿——德国最受瞩目的国防科技初创公司赫尔辛（Helsing）今天宣布推出一种新型防空系统和两款新型拦截导弹。

据新闻稿称，该公司将其名为“Contra”的设计标榜为“人工智能控制的自主防空系统，旨在保护各国免受大规模无人机和导弹袭击”。Helsing公司还声称，该系统可以同时追踪并拦截“成百上千个无人机和导弹威胁”。

该公司表示，Contra 系统可以与现有的防空拦截器和反无人机系统集成。此外，该公司还推出了两款新型集装箱发射式拦截器，希望客户能与 Contra 系统一同购买。AD-1 Inferno 采用喷气式发动机，“具备空中盘旋、集群作战和重复交战能力”。根据新闻稿，AD-2 Ambush 使用固体火箭发动机，速度可达 2.5 马赫，射程为 20 公里（约 12.5 英里）。

该公司并未提供这两款导弹的具体成本估算，仅表示其价格将“远低于现有导弹拦截器”。目前，北约各国正大力推进低成本拦截器的研发，安杜里尔公司、洛克希德·马丁公司和混沌工业公司都在过去几周推出了各自的拦截方案。

“我们的人工智能系统能够实时连接现有的传感器和执行器，并集成我们的拦截器AD-1和AD-2，”赫尔辛公司总裁兼联合创始人尼克拉斯·科勒在公告中表示。“凭借喷气式和火箭推进系统、低成本的全天候雷达导引头以及两条独立的欧洲供应链，它们能够提供高达十公里高度的自主火力优势——价格实惠且可工业化生产。”

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