The sensor solution provider HENSOLDT is working with DFS, the German air navigation service provider, to allow the use of its Twinvis passive radar for civil air traffic safety. A cooperation agreement has now been signed with the aim of certifying the Twinvis passive radar for civil use by the end of 2026. Twinvis is a passive radar based on the latest digital technology that can be used for long-range military airspace surveillance or civil air traffic control. A passive radar acts purely as a receiver, i.e. it does not transmit itself, and locates targets by evaluating reflected signals from existing third-party transmitters. In military use, the system enables covert surveillance of large areas using networked receivers and offers the advantage that the radar cannot be located by the enemy and is very difficult to be jammed.
Two studies funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) have already provided important insights into whether the Twinvis passive radar can be used for civil applications (air traffic control). For this purpose, the Twinvis system was installed near Frankfurt Airport, for example. HENSOLDT and DFS worked together as partners in both the studies. As a result of the joint series of tests and live air situation images generated at national airports, DFS was able to see for itself the maturity of the passive sensor technology. The combination of the non-rotating passive radar antenna with the advanced Twinvis software enables the updating of the position of all detected aircraft every second, for instance. This means that tracks from fast-manoeuvring aerial targets, such as sailplanes or military aircraft, can be maintained with a high degree of stability.
“We are looking forward to the joint trials at the Stuttgart site with great interest,” said Friedrich-Wilhelm Menge, Chief Technology Officer on the DFS Executive Board. “Following successful certification, we see potential for the future use of this technology.”
“The studies demonstrated that passive radar is also highly effective for safeguarding civil air traffic,” said HENSOLDT CEO Oliver Dörre. “Having already been successfully deployed in the military sector, the system also offers significant market potential for air traffic control.”
From an air traffic control perspective, passive radar technology is particularly attractive because it can be more robust and therefore less maintenance-intensive than conventional radar systems. Currently, DFS operates around 30 radar facilities to monitor German airspace which have a large rotating primary radar. There may soon be a powerful and resource-efficient alternative for these. In parallel, DFS is already working on utilisation concepts for the future use of passive radar data at DFS and on their integration into the DFS infrastructure. To this end, a system will be stationed near Stuttgart Airport before the end of the year.
DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH (DFS), the German air navigation service provider, is a State-owned company under private law with 5,700 employees as at 30 June 2024. DFS ensures the safe and punctual flow of air traffic over Germany. Around 2,200 air traffic controllers guide more than three million flights through German airspace in peak years, up to 10,000 every day. The company operates control centres in Bremen, Karlsruhe, Langen and Munich as well as control towers at the 15 designated international airports in Germany. The subsidiary, DFS Aviation Services GmbH, markets and sells products and services related to air navigation services, and provides air traffic control at nine regional airports in Germany and at Edinburgh Airport in the United Kingdom. DFS is working on the integration of drones into air traffic and has set up a joint venture, Droniq GmbH, with Deutsche Telekom. Other subsidiaries include R. Eisenschmidt GmbH, which markets publications and products for general aviation, and Kaufbeuren ATM Training GmbH (KAT), which provides training for military air traffic services personnel. The joint venture FCS Flight Calibration Services GmbH offers flight inspection services.
HENSOLDT is a leading company in the European defence industry with a global reach. Based in Taufkirchen near Munich, the company develops complete sensor solutions for defence and security applications. As a system integrator, HENSOLDT offers platform-independent, networked solutions. Being a technology leader, the company is also driving forward the development of defence electronics and optronics and is continuously expanding its portfolio based on innovative approaches to data fusion, artificial intelligence and cyber security. In 2023, HENSOLDT achieved a turnover of 1.85 billion euros. Following the acquisition of ESG Group, the company employs around 8,000 people. HENSOLDT is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in the MDAX.
