First CA-1 Europa fighter-drone with AI presented

German company Helsing, which specializes in the development of artificial intelligence systems, has unveiled its first indigenous fighter-drone, the CA-1 Europa.

Helsing emphasizes that the CA-1 Europa is still in the design phase, but that it is a platform designed for serial production in collaboration with other European partners. The aircraft’s onboard “thinking system” will be based on the Centaur AI artificial intelligence, which will assume control of the aircraft.

According to the developer, the future aircraft will be classified as a light aircraft, weighing between three and five tons. Conceptually, it is an autonomous multirole aircraft capable of subsonic speeds. The development emphasizes autonomy and a scalable architecture, allowing the aircraft to be used both in solo sorties and in a swarm alongside manned fighters. Helsing promises that the platform will be capable of mass production, will be able to carry payloads, and will be equipped with software for situational awareness in combat situations—both for pilots and for the embedded AI.

Prototype testing is already underway at Grob Aircraft, a company known for producing light aircraft and propeller-driven trainers that serve in the air forces of many countries. However, the company has not yet disclosed the specific propulsion system, weapons package, or planned cost of the aircraft; Helsing only notes that the CA-1’s production cost will be “significantly lower” than that of traditional fighter jets.

Helsing CEO and co-founder Torsten Reil emphasizes the project’s strategic importance in a statement: “Unmanned fighter aircraft will be a key factor in establishing air superiority and ensuring our security. Europe cannot afford to lag behind in this category or be dependent on third parties. With the CA-1 Europa, we will try to avoid this.”

At the same time, analysts point out that Helsing, founded in 2021, has not yet demonstrated large-scale deployments of its own drones. It has delivered combat UAVs, including those with AI elements, to combat zones, but has not yet announced full-scale production programs. It is the level of autonomy that simultaneously raises both the project’s primary interest and its main ethical concern: who will control the swarm of AI-powered aircraft once they are launched? How can safety, responsibility, and restraint be guaranteed if critical, potentially lethal decisions are made at machine speed? These are questions that politicians, the military, and society at large will have to answer as technology advances.