Rheinmetall has secured provisional airworthiness certification from the Bundeswehr Aviation Authority for its LUNA NG unmanned reconnaissance system, known in German military service as HUSAR. The approval allows the German armed forces to carry out independent flight operations for training and testing, giving the programme an operational pathway beyond civil trial activity.
The system has logged about 150 flights and roughly 200 flight hours under civil operating licences, data that supported the certification process. Rheinmetall still needs full type certification, with final approval work continuing.
The provisional certificate also helps integrate a European military drone into restricted airspace and supports operations over densely populated areas under civil safety standards. Bundeswehr pilots and verifiers have already been trained on the system, leaving qualified personnel available for independent training and test sorties.