08/05/2026
Real footage from Ukraine now confirms the AI-powered Helsing HX-2, the German X-Wing-shaped strike drone I covered last month, is flying live missions with Ukraine’s 59th Separate Assault Brigade, and the terminal-guidance AI works exactly the way Helsing claimed: a human locks the target, the machine takes over in the jamming-vulnerable final seconds.
I also talk about the European Sentinel Strike Challenge where Helsing’s drone is one of the five finalists.
I’m not sponsored by Helsing. I just love this X-Wing drone!
Join the channel as a member! We’re building a global community of people who are passionate about Ukrainian victory, honoring NATO alliances, and dislike dictators as much as I do: https://www.youtube.com/@WesODonnellX
My Substack article about AI in war, as promised: https://www.wesodonnell.com/p/ai-in-warfare-what-you-need-to-know
May the force be with you…
Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes. Crimea is Ukraine.
- Chapters!
- 00:00 – Real Footage Confirms X‑Wing‑Style Drone Over Ukraine
- 00:13 – Debunking the Robot‑Uprising Narrative
- 00:29 – German X‑Wing Drone Tested in Ukrainian Combat
- 01:16 – HX‑2 AI‑Assisted Strike Drone and Its Human‑Centric Design
- 02:26 – Features and Low‑Signature Design of the HX‑2
- 03:41 – Mission Profile and Enemy Jamming Challenges
- 04:39 – Electronic Warfare Threats and the Need for Autonomous Terminal Guidance
- 05:51 – Narrow AI Vision System Powering HX‑2’s Final Approach
- 06:20 – Combat Footage Reveals Human‑Controlled Operations and Fail‑Safe Ascent
- 08:03 – Human‑Machine Hand‑off: Engineering the Right Division of Labor
- 09:17 – European Sentinel Strike Challenge and HX‑2’s Role
- 10:42 – EDA Field Trials: Institutionalizing AI‑Enabled Strike Systems
- 13:41 – Closing Remarks, Studio Updates, and Support for Ukraine