At the DSEI 2025 defense and security exhibition (Defense & Security Equipment International), scheduled for September 9–12 this year at the ExCeL center in London, WB Group is presenting its display. It is worth noting that the event features the international debut of the Warmate 5 heavy loitering munition and the X-Fronter V personal multi-role unmanned system.
Warmate 5 / Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
As the MILMAG Editorial Team present at the exhibition has learned, the Warmate 5 system, shown publicly for the first time, has attracted interest from the United Kingdom’s armed forces.
Warmate 5 is a loitering munition with enhanced capabilities for engaging targets (including heavily armored ones) at long ranges. The main elements of the system are the unmanned platform equipped with an interchangeable warhead, the launcher, and the ground control station. It can be used to support subunits on the battlefield or as a precision strike asset against targets at various distances (approximately 100 km).
Loitering munitions provide an advantage on the modern battlefield without requiring significant personnel or equipment resources. Such strike systems are characterized by their ability to remain airborne for extended periods over a designated target area, independently search for and attack targets, or neutralize objects indicated by other airborne platforms, such as the FT-5 and FlyEye unmanned reconnaissance systems, or by special operations forces.
The Warmate 5 loitering munition is equipped with an interchangeable warhead weighing 5–10 kg. Depending on the mission, this may be a high-explosive fragmentation, thermobaric, or anti-armor warhead. Its long range, ability to independently identify and strike targets, and relay capability make it a flexible tool on the battlefield.
Warmate 5 can form part of larger reconnaissance-strike systems, such as the Gladius used by the Polish Armed Forces. Loitering munitions are distinguished by their rapid response time after detecting a potential target and their ability to strike at distances greater than those of typical tube or rocket artillery. The Warmate 5 strike system can be used to neutralize armored vehicles and attack rear-area assets such as depots, fuel stations, or radar sites.
The second notable system presented by WB Group in London is the X-Fronter personal multi-role unmanned system in the V variant, featuring a new shaped-charge warhead developed by the Military Institute of Armament Technology (WITU).
It is worth recalling that the prototype quadcopter, developed by engineers from Flytronic (part of WB Group), made its debut during the POLSECURE 2022 exhibition in Kielce.
The X-Fronter stands out with a design different from previously presented solutions. It is a composite cylinder weighing about 1,000 g, capable of carrying any compatible payload up to 350 g. Its low weight and compact size (90 mm in diameter, 300 mm in height) allow a single soldier to carry the system along with the control console. The UAV itself can practically fit into the thigh pocket of military trousers. However, and this is worth emphasizing, the MILMAG Editorial Team has learned that the new platform may be scalable. In the future, this could mean the development of an entire family of multirotor drones of various sizes capable of performing a wide spectrum of missions.
The quadrotor platform is intended to be the smallest multi-role component of the WB Group’s swarm. It is designed for use directly on the battlefield or on the perimeter of a monitored area. The maximum range has been specified by Flytronic’s designers as 2,000 meters, with a minimum flight endurance of around 20 minutes (the maximum flight time, according to the manufacturer, is up to 40 minutes). The design incorporates solutions enabling operation under electronic-warfare (EW) conditions. The use of dead-reckoning navigation allows it to function even when GPS signals are unavailable. In the event of a loss of control, the UAV can autonomously return to its launch point.
The device can carry various types of system payloads, both combat and reconnaissance (mounted in the lower part of the body). The operator’s console allows the management of multiple platforms, with one carrying an observation payload able to designate targets for others equipped with explosive charges (operating in loitering-munition mode). According to earlier assurances from WB Group representatives, thermobaric, shaped-charge, and high-explosive fragmentation (HE) warheads are under development. However, compared to the Warmate, this platform is intended to be smaller and significantly cheaper, enabling the engagement of a broader range of targets worth striking in this manner. Additional functions may include carrying electronic-warfare pods, flares, and smoke markers for designating landing zones or targets.