Hornet XR appears in the war as a Lithuanian reconnaissance UAV supplied to and used by Ukrainian forces for intelligence, surveillance, and battlefield observation in contested electronic-warfare conditions.
| Claim | Sources |
|---|---|
| Ukraine received HORNET XR reconnaissance drones through German military support. | |
| Granta Autonomy supplied Hornet XR intelligence drones to Ukrainian forces. | Sources: Defense News Granta Ukraine Visit |
| Hornet XR was tested with Ukrainian special operations forces and tied to Ukrainian front-line feedback. | |
| Ukraine uses Hornet XR as a fixed-wing reconnaissance drone for combat operations. |
Timeline
After Russia's full-scale invasion, Granta Autonomy established contact with volunteers fighting in Ukraine and began sending UAVs to the Ukrainian front line.
At Eurosatory 2024, Granta Autonomy's CEO described testing Hornet XR with Ukrainian special operations forces behind enemy lines and said Ukrainian regular forces had received a battery of Granta UAVs after earlier trials.
The German Federal Government listed 46 HORNET XR reconnaissance drones among delivered military support for Ukraine.
Business Insider reported that Ukraine uses Hornet XR, described as a fixed-wing reconnaissance drone, for combat operations.
Defense News reported from Granta Autonomy that the company had sent 100 Hornet XR intelligence drones to Ukraine during the previous year.
Sources: Defense News Granta Ukraine Visit
Hornet XR is documented in Ukrainian service through government delivery data and defense reporting. Germany's military-support list for Ukraine names 46 HORNET XR reconnaissance drones among delivered drone and anti-drone systems, while Defense News reported that Granta Autonomy sent 100 Hornet XR intelligence drones to Ukraine.
European Security & Defence reported that Granta Autonomy tested Hornet XR with Ukrainian special operations forces behind enemy lines in June 2024 and that the Ukrainian regular army had a battery of Granta UAVs after earlier trials. Business Insider later reported that Ukraine uses the fixed-wing Hornet XR reconnaissance drone for combat operations.
Sources: Federal Government Military Support for Ukraine, Defense News Granta Ukraine Visit, ESD Granta Ukraine Front-Line Testing, Business Insider Granta Battlefield Testing
Granta Autonomy's Ukraine involvement began after Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion, when the company established contact with volunteers fighting there and began sending UAVs to the Ukrainian front line with Lithuanian and Ukrainian funding support.
By June 2024, the company was describing live Ukrainian front-line testing and feedback as central to Hornet XR development. Germany later listed 46 HORNET XR reconnaissance drones among delivered aid, and Defense News reported in November 2025 that Granta Autonomy had sent 100 Hornet XR intelligence drones to Ukraine during the previous year.
Sources: ESD Granta Ukraine Front-Line Testing, Federal Government Military Support for Ukraine, Defense News Granta Ukraine Visit
The documented Hornet XR role in this conflict is reconnaissance and intelligence collection, not strike employment. Granta Autonomy describes the aircraft as a hand-launched fixed-wing UAV for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance missions, and the German aid list classifies the delivered HORNET XR systems as reconnaissance drones.
Reporting from Ukraine emphasizes operation in a difficult electronic-warfare environment. ESD said Hornet XR was tested in radio silence and behind enemy lines, and Defense News reported that the aircraft uses an in-house datalink and is designed to operate when radio-frequency and GPS signals are jammed.
Sources: Granta Autonomy Hornet XR, Federal Government Military Support for Ukraine, ESD Granta Ukraine Front-Line Testing, Defense News Granta Ukraine Visit
