The “Next Generation Airborne Unmanned Close-In Reconnaissance Equipment” (LUNA NG) will be deployed in Ukraine. Rheinmetall will supply the system on behalf of the German government before the end of the year.
The supply contract is worth a low double-digit million sum. The LUNA NG Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) consists of a ground control station with several aircraft, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The system also includes a launch catapult and optional arresting net equipment. Furthermore, equipment for maintenance is part of the scope of supply. All system components are loaded onto Rheinmetall HX trucks with interchangeable loading systems. The drone can remain airborne for up to twelve hours. Its reconnaissance capability extends over several hundred kilometers, but requires a longer dwell time over the mission site.
The LUNA NG system now ordered for Ukraine is part of the aid package approved by the German government in July 2023. The system is also in use by the German armed forces. After minor modifications, it is known there as HUSAR.