Drone swarms for Europe: Helsing and Systematic form partnership

A few days ago, Helsing and Systematic announced a partnership. The aim is to give Europe sovereign, AI-enabled swarm capabilities in the drone sector, i.e. drone swarms that fit into existing command and control (C2) systems and processes. They are meant to revolutionise the reconnaissance-strike complex.

By pooling their expertise, the two companies say they are strengthening the necessary capabilities and capacities “for faster decisions, modern targeting and precise mass strikes”. Armed forces and their decision-makers are thus to be enabled to expand their capacities in this field and draw lessons from the war in Ukraine.

Sitaware opens up to drone swarms

At the heart of the cooperation is the integration of Helsing's AI-enabled defence technology platforms into Systematic Sitaware. This C4ISR suite is currently in use with more than 50 nations, including Austria. Customers can thus be “drone-ready” immediately and further expand the use of autonomous sensors and effectors in swarms.

Systematic founder and chairman Michael Holm stressed: “As the AI era expands the possibilities of using data, partnerships like this help our users get the most out of their systems and the other platforms they support. As Europe continues to invest in its own technological and industrial defence base, we are contributing to strengthening European sovereignty while providing our allies and partners with advanced data solutions.”

The technology is intended to exchange data between drones more quickly, for example between intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms and the Helsing HX-2 strike drone used in Ukraine. Sitaware users can then carry out mission-critical tasks faster and at greater scale.

• create target lists
• develop plans and orders
• assign strike assets
• deconflict airspace to ensure safe operations
• provide fused pictures of friendly and enemy forces

“What wins wars is not individual systems, but the ability to connect them and iterate at the speed of relevance.”
Gundbert Scherf, co-founder and co-CEO of Helsing

Gundbert Scherf, co-founder and co-CEO of Helsing, said: “This partnership brings together two entrepreneurial and sovereign European technology companies: Systematic, the market leader in interoperable battle management systems, and Helsing, which is at the forefront of AI-enabled reconnaissance and strike”. He added: “What wins wars is not individual systems, but the ability to connect them and iterate at the speed of relevance. Together we will deliver exactly that for the defence of Europe.”