Background
The November 2020 edition of Battlespace featured an article entitled ‘HENSOLDT UK: A reliable partner for over 300 years’. This piece set out the strategic reasoning behind the European sensor house HENSOLDT’s acquisition of the Kelvin Hughes radar business, and showcased some of the Group’s best in class capabilities relevant to the UK defence and security sectors.
With this acquisition, HENSOLDT not only benefitted from synergies associated with its radar portfolio, but also secured a modern Enfield based industrial facility designed to cater for growth. This decision was taken in recognition of the UK’s importance in terms of its domestic market and unique position post-BREXIT, as well as the nation’s global influence in defence and security matters.
HENSOLDT UK’s modular, flexible facility in Enfield, which can be configured to assemble and support a variety of product and system offerings drawn from across HENSOLDT’s portfolio
HENSOLDT UK’s modular, flexible facility in Enfield, which can be configured to assemble and support a variety of product and system offerings drawn from across HENSOLDT’s portfolio
The acquisition paved the way for targeted investment in HENSOLDT’s UK business in order to bolster and extend the range and depth of its local capabilities, capacity and expertise. Investment continued through the Pandemic, enabling HENSOLDT UK to support its customers though this difficult period whilst also planning for growth thereafter. Going forward, HENSOLDT’s UK customers and partners are fully supported through the utilisation of local resources, hence aligning the business with the key tenets of HM Government’s 2021 Integrated Review and Social Value policy.
The local UK capability will include full system and/or sub-assembly design and manufacturing. Where necessary, UK-specific product variants will be designed and locally supported to assure UK sovereign operation and support.
Strategic Direction – Networked, Pre-Integrated Sensor Solutions
HENSOLDT Group’s strong growth to date has been underpinned by a solid product-centric divisional structure, with each division delivering its world class EW, Radar or Optronic sensors to international defence and security customers. More recently, HENSOLDT has evolved from a predominantly product based business to a Sensor Solutions provider operating across international Land, Air, Maritime and Security domains, with specialist capabilities relevant to the Cyber and Space sectors.
Whilst the product business remains strong, HENSOLDT’s strategic direction is based on the provision of networked, pre-integrated sensor solutions comprising products and sub-systems drawn from across the divisional portfolio and beyond. This approach is of benefit to HENSOLDT’s customers as it de-risks integration, certification and acceptance activities, as well as simplifying and reducing costs associated with programme management, documentation and support.
HENSOLDT’s business – Sensor Solutions based on premium Products and underpinned by world class Services
HENSOLDT’s Integrated Sensor Solutions are inherently flexible, enabling the integration of specialist capabilities sourced from third parties, in addition to the in-house portfolio. This significantly benefits the UK market, as locally sourced capabilities, for example domestic AI algorithms and/or sovereign sub-systems (i.e. supplied as GFX) can be readily incorporated into pre-integrated solutions.
Examples of Current UK Sensor Solution Activity
Land Domain
HENSOLDT’s CERETRON solution is a pre-integrated sensor suite for infantry fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, recce (ISR) platforms and main battle tanks, supporting reconnaissance and surveillance activities in all spectral ranges?. A key element of this solution, which can be supplied as a stand-alone system suitable for retrofit, is HENSOLDT’s high performance local situational awareness system SETAS (See Through Armour System).
The system is designed to provide all crew members with a real time panoramic view of what is outside the vehicle, so that they can remain inside and protected as long and as often as possible. In addition to the system’s 360° coverage in azimuth, a high vertical field of view provides awareness of potential threats from above, such as those encountered when operating in urban environments. The system supports detection and identification of threats such as snipers or RPGs, so that when soldiers have to disembark, they know exactly what awaits them outside, which is extremely advantageous when operating in a contested environment.
HENSOLDT’s business – Sensor Solutions based on premium Products and underpinned by world class Services
SETAS works by seamlessly stitching together the video streams (i.e. high resolution daylight colour and uncooled thermal) from multiple cameras installed around the outside surfaces of the vehicle. This delivers a high detection, recognition and identification (DRI) capability, with the consolidated external image being available to the operators on internal display screens. The system can be augmented with head mounted displays (VR goggles) that enable each soldier to look around and ‘see through’ the armour, as if the vehicle were transparent. The observation capabilities of SETAS can be further enhanced by integrated automatic image processing features such as Moving Target Indication (MTI) and AI designed to detect and classify objects, for examples mines. Such features help the crew to process the large volumes of tactically useful imaging data provided by SETAS. Furthermore SETAS can integrate and display video feeds from deployed UGV’s, UAS’s and other external sources, such as vehicle Active Protection Systems, platform mounted sensors or dismounted sensors. Simple to use with intuitive controls, SETAS does not increase the cognitive burden on the crew members.
SETAS sensor suite installed on a British Army Foxhound patrol vehicle for test and evaluation trials
HENSOLDT’s UK contribution is significant. In addition to the provision of comprehensive through life support, HENSOLDT plans to transfer significant elements of SETAS’ design, manufacture and test to its facility in Enfield. HENSOLDT continues to work closely with UK stakeholders to position SETAS as a retrofit solution, with significant UK content, for existing vehicles of various types and also for integration into planned batches of new vehicles.
The system’s inherent flexibility enables the integration of existing, in service GFX as well as UK sourced capabilities to further enhance situational awareness. These include the aforementioned UK designed AI to identify threat types, triggering audio-visual alerts.
HENSOLDT will be showcasing a fully operational SETAS system at the DVD 2022 event in Millbrook (Stand No. SP-16).
Air Domain
HENSOLDT’s Mission Grid solution is a scalable network of airborne sensors that collects, processes and transmits intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data in real-time to support operational decision-making.? Mission Grid can be configured to meet the requirements of a wide range of fixed wing and rotary aircraft utilised in ISR operations.
Mission Grid integrates HENSOLDT’s Radar, Optronics and EW modules with in-house airborne computing, avionics and mission system applications. The solution’s open architecture facilitates inclusion of third party capability and/or alternative sensors specified by the customer, with HENSOLDT taking responsibility for the overall systems integration and test.
Central to HENSOLDT’s Mission Grid offering is its Airborne Systems Integration Lab (ASIL). The original ASIL is based in Germany. HENSOLDT plans to replicate this capability in Enfield in support of its UK customers. The UK ASIL will be designed to accommodate specific modules relevant to the UK customer base.
HENSOLDT’s ASIL
HENSOLDT’s ASIL replicates the aircraft environment in controlled laboratory conditions. The ASIL uses the same avionics or “hardware-in-the-loop” as the real aircraft, connected to stimulators that simulate external real-world conditions. For example, using a GPS emulator linked to a high-resolution scenery generator and radar simulator, the ASIL can “fly” mission scenarios in any location, world-wide. Combined with a virtual reality (VR) entity generator, complex “pattern of life” scenarios can be created such as behavioural movements of aircraft, sea vessel, ground vehicles and individual persons.
The ASIL significantly de-risks the final installation onto the aircraft, providing the capability to debug, troubleshoot and fully test the connectivity & functional paths between the aircraft system (flight management, navigation, attitude/heading reference) and the mission system (including radar waypoints, relay of navigation data).
By fully emulating the hardware functionality in a virtualised operational environment, the ASIL enables mission system integrators and operational staff to evaluate, test & train complex missions before the aircraft enters service. For the in-service phase, the ASIL can be deployed to a customer facility to support on-site testing and to provide a Synthetic Training Environment for ISR mission operators.
In addition to its primary function supporting HENSOLDT’s expanding domestic airborne solutions business in the UK, the Enfield based ASIL will support the development of solutions tailored for UK based system integrators and prime contractors engaged in export campaigns.
HENSOLDT’s ASIL
Naval Domain
In the naval domain, HENSOLDT has a long pedigree in Surveillance Radar, IFF and Optronic sensors, as well as EW and self-protection systems. The UK based SharpEye navigation radar, which is in service with the Royal Navy, and Integrated Navigation Bridge System (INBS), which is in service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, were included when Kelvin Hughes joined the HENSOLDT family. In more recent times, through its acquisition of French defence and security business NEXEYA in 2019, HENSOLDT added the LYNCEA command and control system and a degaussing capability to its extensive naval portfolio.
Drawing exclusively on its in-house portfolio, HENSOLDT is now uniquely positioned to configure a comprehensive and cost-effective integrated mission system solution for naval platforms ranging in complexity from patrol vessels and auxiliaries through to fighting ships such as corvettes and general purpose frigates.
HENSOLDT’s Integrated Naval Mission System portfolio (Note: QUADOME is HENSOLDT’s latest 3D Surveillance Radar and COLDS is a laser warner based self-protection sensor)
The UK content of HENSOLDT’s naval portfolio has been increased through the addition of its new SharpEye MK11 IFF Combined Antenna System. This compact unit, designed and manufactured in Enfield, combines Kelvin Hughes proven SharpEye navigation radar technology and turning mechanism expertise with an IFF antenna sourced from HENSOLDT in Germany. The unit saves valuable space by integrating two separate antennas into one compact assembly, and is therefore an attractive solution for smaller vessels where mast space is at a premium.
HENSOLDT’s Integrated Naval Mission System portfolio (Note: QUADOME is HENSOLDT’s latest 3D Surveillance Radar and COLDS is a laser warner based self-protection sensor)
SharpEye MK11 IFF Combined Antenna System
The decision to develop and manufacture the SharpEye MK11 IFF Combined Antenna System at its Enfield facility is further evidence of HENSOLDT’s confidence in the UK and of its strategic importance to the business going forward.
SharpEye MK11 IFF Combined Antenna System
Summary
Following on from its strategic decision to invest in and develop a UK industrial footprint, HENSOLDT will implement its plans for growth over the coming months, utilising its Enfield facility to the full. In addition to Germany and France, the UK is now rightly considered a ‘Home Country’ by HENSOLDT’s senior management team, with inward investment set to grow in line with its expanding list of prospects, including domestic opportunities and exports from the UK.
HENSOLDT is demonstrably committed to the its support of the UK’s defence, security and prosperity.