Helsing Unveils CA-1 Europa Unmanned Combat Aircraft with 2027 Test Flight Target

26-09-2025


European defense technology company Helsing has unveiled its CA-1 Europa unmanned combat aircraft, presenting the design concept during a media event at its subsidiary Grob Aircraft's facility in Tussenhausen. The presentation was attended by Bavaria's Minister President Markus Söder and Helsing's co-supervisory board chairman Tom Enders, highlighting the significance of the project for European defense capabilities.

The CA-1 Europa is designed as a stealth combat bomber capable of operating deep in enemy territory using advanced artificial intelligence technology. The aircraft features a software-first approach that emphasizes complex software to maximize the efficiency of simpler hardware components. This design philosophy aims to create what the company describes as an 'intelligent mass' system where losses can be quickly compensated.

Helsing completed the design and construction of the CA-1 Europa concept in just 14 weeks, demonstrating the company's rapid innovation capabilities. The Munich-based startup plans to invest several hundred million euros to make the system flight-ready by 2027, with initial test flights scheduled for that year. A container village in Tussenhausen will serve as a development center to accelerate engineering work.

The unmanned combat jet will operate autonomously using Helsing's 'Centaur' AI system and can function either independently or in swarms. The multi-role platform features flexible software operating systems and can be equipped with various sensors, protection systems, and weaponry. Helsing, which became Germany's first defense unicorn with a valuation reaching €12 billion, has raised €1.6 billion in investor funding since its founding in 2021, including a €600 million funding round completed in June.

Recommended news

Camping Industry in Baden-Württemberg Reports Strongest Performance in Decades

2025-10-20T11:55:07.610Z

Baden-Württemberg's camping industry is poised for a record-breaking year, with camping enthusiasts flocking to popular regions like the Black Forest and Lake Constance. Kurt Bonath, chairman of the State Association of the Camping Industry in Baden-Württemberg, reported that many campground...

Read more


German Naval Builder TKMS Sees Shares Jump 23% in IPO Launch

2025-10-20T11:53:44.018Z

Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), Germany's largest naval shipbuilder, made a strong debut on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange Monday, with shares trading significantly above initial expectations. The stock opened at €60 per share, far surpassing analyst forecasts of approximately €36, and...

Read more


German Industrialist Clashes with Town Over Traffic Calming Measures

2025-10-20T11:56:19.362Z

The small German municipality of Schwanau in Baden-Württemberg has become the unlikely stage for an escalating conflict between local government and one of the region's largest employers. The dispute centers around approximately 20 flower pots installed by the municipality two months ago...

Read more


Berlin Authorities Clear Partially Occupied Building Following Years-Long Dispute

2025-10-20T11:56:37.001Z

Berlin police deployed approximately 130 officers in a major operation to secure the eviction of a partially occupied residential building in the city's Mitte district near the Federal Intelligence Service and Natural History Museum. The operation, which has now concluded, saw police officers...

Read more


CSU's Guttenberg Defends Party's Incompatibility Resolution With Far-Right AfD

2025-10-20T11:54:46.155Z

Former German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has firmly rejected media interpretations suggesting he supports softening the Christian Democratic Union's so-called "firewall" against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The CSU politician told Deutsche Presse-Agentur in...

Read more