HADIS, short for High Altitude Drop Infiltrating System, is an unmanned, autonomous and disposable remote carrier designed to be deployed from transport aircraft and configured as a cargo glider in its initial version. The system was conceptualised in 2024 as part of a self-financed innovation project and has already been successfully deployed from smaller transport aircraft.
The recent test campaign was supported by the German Armed Forces, which provided an A400M aircraft, and was accompanied by the Bundeswehr Technical Center for Aircraft and Aeronautical Equipment. During the trials, Hensoldt demonstrated a scaled 1:3 version of HADIS, successfully validating both the parachute-based extraction process and autonomous waypoint navigation during the gliding phase.
According to Hensoldt, the successful demonstrations clear the way for further development, with a full-scale demonstrator planned by the end of 2026. The company expects the cargo glider to be capable of transporting payloads of up to 500 kilograms over distances of as much as 120 kilometres after release from a transport aircraft.
The disposable cargo glider, consisting of wings and a fuselage, is intended to resupply special forces operating deep in hostile territory while keeping manned aircraft outside high-risk zones. Hensoldt said the system’s lack of propulsion in its initial version reduces noise and emissions, while the ability to deploy multiple gliders in swarm formations highlights its suitability for multi-domain operations.
