Hensoldt develops demonstrator SIGINT pod for Eurodrone
Hensoldt has already tested a communications intelligence demonstrator on a Learjet test aircraft. (Photo: GFD)
The company has already demonstrated its C-ESM capabilities in ground and flight tests.
Hensoldt is developing sensor equipment that can be integrated into a pod, giving the Eurodrone signals intelligence (SIGINT) capability.
The SIGINT technology will utilise digitation advancements, including electronic beam steering and metallic 3D printing, already used on the company’s Kalaetron product line.
A contract for implementation and testing of a SIGINT demonstrator worth €15 million ($16.3 million) has been awarded by the German BAAINBw procurement agency.
As part of the contract, Hensoldt is developing a system architecture for integrating SIGINT capability into the Eurodrone’s mission system.
Hensoldt Spectrum Dominance & Airborne Solutions Division head Christoph Ruffner said: ‘From our experience with other SIGINT projects and our own technology programmes, we are in a position to offer a flexible SIGINT solution for the Eurodrone that can be integrated into a pod, but can also be used networked with other platforms.’
The German Armed Forces already use the Kalaetron product family in self-protection and SIGINT systems.
Key elements of the system include a digitised broadband receiver, an electronically controllable antenna, and a condensed structure of electronic components.
Hensoldt said these combinations, in concert, allowed for SIGINT equipment to be integrated into a compact pod that can be easily deployed on flying platforms.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![NATO’s GlobalEye selection reflects a move towards greater European defence autonomy]()
NATO’s GlobalEye selection reflects a move towards greater European defence autonomy
The joint acquisition of Saab’s GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft by 11 allies marks the end of NATO’s more than four-decade reliance on a US-built airborne early warning platform.
-
![US Air Force lays the groundwork to move the F-15EX acquisition to lots 7 and 8]()
US Air Force lays the groundwork to move the F-15EX acquisition to lots 7 and 8
Procurement of the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System for future production lots signals the air force's commitment to an expanded 267-aircraft Eagle II fleet while sustaining full electronic warfare capability on every fighter.
-
![US Air Force unveils new details of Next Generation Airlift aircraft to replace C-17 and C-5]()
US Air Force unveils new details of Next Generation Airlift aircraft to replace C-17 and C-5
New planning documents reveal how the service is defining the aircraft expected to succeed the C-17 and C-5, including its initial requirements and procurement roadmap.
-
![Could CUAS demand open a new market for armed trainer aircraft?]()
Could CUAS demand open a new market for armed trainer aircraft?
As affordable counter-drone solutions become a military priority, repurposing training aircraft could emerge as a credible option to prepare for emergency scenarios.
-
![A new shape in the sky? Mapping out the F-47’s configuration]()
A new shape in the sky? Mapping out the F-47’s configuration
As images of what might be an F-47 prototype or proof-of-concept vehicle emerge from the Nevada desert, what do they tell us about the aircraft’s capabilities and enabling technologies?
