Luna NG hastens sensor-to-shooter cycle in reconnaissance and operational network demo

Rheinmetall has successfully deployed its Luna NG reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the demonstration of a reconnaissance and operational network that only used unmanned systems, the company announced on 29 January 2026.

The demonstration, which took place recently at the Bundeswehr’s Army Combat Training Centre in Saxony-Anhalt, saw a Luna UAV successfully integrated with the Bundeswehr’s Command & Control Unmanned Management System (C2-UMS Bw), allowing it to operate within reconnaissance and operational networks alongside other drones or loitering munitions.

Overall, the demonstration at the Combat Training Centre was characterised by a high level of digitalisation and networking and showed that the interaction of reconnaissance and operational networks reduces the required time to detect, mark and counter-attack a target significantly. During the test the Luna NG reliably processed short-term assignments, showcasing what Rheinmetall called its “exceptional reconnaissance capabilities”, and fed sensor information in real time, giving ground units a complete situational picture.

The Luna NG, which in the Bundeswehr is known as the Highly Efficient Unmanned System for Medium-Range Reconnaissance (HUSAR), features an endurance of over 12 hours and can operate at a maximum altitude of 5,000 m.

The launch of a Luna NG reconnaissance UAV, which Rheinmetall recently integrated into a demonstration that used only unmanned systems to hasten the sensor-to-shooter cycle. [Rheinmetall]