Hensoldt Tests Unmanned Carrier Deployment From A400M Aircraft

HENSOLDT has completed flight tests demonstrating the deployment of its unmanned carrier system from an Airbus A400M military transport aircraft.

The tests were conducted last autumn as part of development work on the High Altitude Drop Infiltrating System (HADIS), an unmanned, autonomous and disposable remote carrier designed for release from transport aircraft. In its initial configuration, the system is built as a cargo glider.

The system was first conceptualized in 2024 under a self-financed innovation program and had previously been deployed from smaller transport aircraft. The latest test marked its first deployment from an A400M.

The German military supported the trials by providing an A400M aircraft, while the Bundeswehr Technical Center for Aircraft and Aeronautical Equipment, known as WTD 61, accompanied the testing.

During the campaign, HENSOLDT flew a scaled 1:3 version of the system. The company confirmed that the parachute-based extraction process from the aircraft was completed as planned and that the vehicle carried out autonomous waypoint navigation during its gliding flight.

HENSOLDT said the results represent a milestone toward a full-scale demonstrator of the unmanned carrier system, with further development steps expected to focus on scaling and integration.