Hensoldt Demos Airborne SIGINT Capabilities to German Customer

Hensoldt recently demonstrated technology and deployment modes of airborne signal intelligence (SIGINT) to Germany recently.

The test flight campaign was conducted at Hohn Air Base in Schleswig-Holstein.

The aim of the six test flights carried out together with GFD GmbH on a Learjet was to give representatives of the German customer an overview of available technologies and their growth potential. The findings are to be incorporated into the planning of future SIGINT capability on a wide variety of flying platforms including drones, Hensoldt said in a release Tuesday.

In a so-called "expansion stage 1" of the demonstration, which was financed from company funds, the localisation, bearing, tracking and recording of signals was demonstrated, which located and tracked transmitters with frequencies in the communications range in scenarios of tactical signal reconnaissance. For the demonstration, a system concept was developed and realised that achieved a maximum of bearing accuracy and speed.

A later planned "expansion stage 2" of the demo campaign will highlight monitoring and pattern recognition procedures, possibly using AI techniques.

Among other things, the findings are to be incorporated into the further development of the modular HENSOLDT product family KALÆTRON Integral for the realisation of the future scalable ELINT reconnaissance container, which can be used on various platform types – including drones.