German defense technology company Helsing said Tuesday its AI-powered CA-1 Europa unmanned combat jet can defeat human pilots in simulated air battles, as the company prepares the aircraft for its first test flight next year.
During a demonstration for German Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger in Munich, two experienced pilots repeatedly lost simulated dogfights against Helsing's AI pilot, called Centaur.
The pilots included a former Mexican Air Force pilot and a former German military aviator and longtime test pilot.
"What you have achieved in five or six years is phenomenal," Wildberger said.
Helsing, founded in 2021, now employs around 1,300 people, roughly seven times as many as in 2024, according to the company.
Chief technology officer Robert Fink said development had been accelerated by training the system in artificially generated environments rather than relying solely on real-world military data.
Users can specify terrain, weather, time of day and visibility, with AI generating the training environment. This can compress years of training into minutes or hours, Fink said.
Helsing said its AI operates within a restricted military environment and cannot access or interfere with external computer systems.
The company raised $1.8 billion from investors in July and acquired Bavarian aircraft manufacturer Grob in 2025. Grob engineers are developing the aircraft itself.
The unmanned combat jet is 11 metres long with a take-off weight of 4 metric tons. Helsing is targeting its first test flight next year.
