Germany's Bundeswehr Aviation Authority granted provisional airworthiness certification to Rheinmetall's LUNA NG unmanned reconnaissance system. ^[1] Under a contract amendment signed on September 28, 2023, the Bundeswehr ordered 12 production systems and one pilot system of the LUNA NG (designated HUSAR) for approximately €200 million ($231 million), with the first production system scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2025. ^[2] Rheinmetall stated that the LUNA NG has completed approximately 150 flights and roughly 200 flight hours under civil operating licenses. ^[3] The Bundeswehr will field the certified system under the designation HUSAR, which stands for Highly Efficient Unmanned System for Medium-Range Reconnaissance. ^[4] Mike Schmidt, CEO of Rheinmetall's Air Unmanned Space business unit, said the LUNA NG certification was conducted against the same standards applied to large aircraft such as the Airbus A320, and that safety-critical components were developed and certified in-house. ^[5] Rheinmetall said the majority of the criteria required for full type certification of LUNA NG have been met, though it did not specify which criteria remain outstanding. ^[6] Rheinmetall stated that critical components, such as the autopilot or safety-critical navigation systems, had to be developed and certified in-house because no certified systems for tactical unmanned aerial vehicles exist on the market. ^[7]