German Drone Manufacturer to Build Factory in West Virginia
Helsing plans to build a state-of-the-art factory in Martinsburg, WV, to mass-produce drones. Photo courtesy Helsing SE
MARTINSBURG, WV—Helsing SE, a German defense company based in Munich, plans to build a state-of-the-art factory here to mass-produce its HX-2 drone. The $50 million facility will be capable of producing more than 2,000 units per month.
The HX-2 strike drone weighs 26 pounds and travels up to 137 mph. It features an X-wing configuration and a low acoustic signature that enables the weapon to penetrate enemy targets up to 60 miles away. Four electric motors power four propellers located at the rear of the aircraft.
“Designed for high-volume production and rapid deployment, the HX-2 represents a new generation of affordable precision capabilities built for the challenges of modern combat,” says Jennifer McArdle, Ph.D., general manager of Helsing Inc.
“Modern deterrence requires advanced technology and the ability to produce it at speed, at scale and in sustained volumes,” adds McArdle. “The conflicts of today demonstrate that industrial capacity is a critical strategic advantage.”
The new West Virginia facility will become part of Helsing’s global network of “resilience factories,” which McArdle describes as “a new type of high-efficiency production sites designed to ensure local and sovereign manufacturing capabilities for nation states.
“HX-2 and resilience factories have been designed with high throughput and scale from the outset,” McArdle point out. “Through the systematic choice of components, materials and manufacturing techniques, HX-2 can be produced in volumes that are unprecedented for modern autonomous drones. In both system and manufacturing design, complexity of hardware has been absorbed by software, thereby drastically reducing the number of components and assembly steps.”
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