In Europe, Sentinel Strike Challenge competition continues, conducted by EDA defense agency through European defense innovation center HEDI — as emphasized on EDA official website, it aims to "provide member countries with reliable and comparable operational data on loitering munition application capabilities" and is not standard procurement procedure, instead having prize fund of €2 million.
Developers whose products are multifunctional and can perform both reconnaissance and strike tasks with takeoff mass up to 25 kg and range up to 40 km could participate in competition.
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Competition consists of two stages — at first, technical proposal evaluation was conducted. Overall over 140 applications were received, of which, as Defence-Network publication reports, five winners were selected. Second stage will be held in autumn at one of Portuguese ranges, strike drones will be tested "in controlled, realistic and operationally significant conditions."
Defense Express immediately notes that if competition is conducted with goal of providing countries wishing to arm with such products genuinely reliable data on their effectiveness, then range testing is far from best variant to receive genuinely quality feedback regarding weapons effectiveness.
At the same time, range of companies that passed into top five by first stage results work with Ukraine and have products tested in complex battlefield conditions in Ukraine and accordingly refined.
For example, this is German defense startup Helsing. Although EDA has not yet disclosed which specific drones of which company advanced to second stage, publication assumes that from Helsing this may be HX-2 drone. Which, however, does not fit voiced maximum tactical-technical characteristics, as it has significantly greater range of 100 km, but fits by mass, as platform weighs 12 kg.
Also this involves Dutch Destinus, which supplies Ukraine Ruta cruise missiles — recently first footage of Ruta Block 1 flight somewhere in sky over russian territory appeared on social media. Company has in its assets Hornet drone, which in Block 2 version can be both interceptor and strike drone, but also has quite significant flight range over 150 km.
Company C-Astral from Slovenia also advanced to second stage — back in 2023 it became known this manufacturer secretly tested its drones in Ukraine, this involved Belin drone, also known as Bramor C4EYE. However, this is reconnaissance platform. Company previously emphasized it refined its products according to feedback received from Ukrainian military. Publication says Slovenian company presented C-Astral MWT (Medi Wing Tactical) drones at competition.
Two other companies are Portuguese UAVision and Greek Spirit Aeronautical Systems. In open data there is no information whether these companies supplied weapons from Ukraine, possibly they could present ELANUS and AIHMI AHM-1X drones respectively.
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