Paris/Munich, 24 September 2019 – Monitoring the airspace is an important task. Even more so when dangers are becoming smaller and smaller: The use and circulation of small drones has increased substantially over recent years and months. While some regulatory frameworks exist, their implementation has proven difficult in practice. Airports especially are high-risk areas, as a collision between drones and airplanes – whether intentional or not – may result in accidents and even deadly crashes. Added to that the risk of drones employed as weapons by dropping explosives, biological or chemical substances, it becomes clear that airports and other critical infrastructures must be continuously monitored, secured and have access to means of intervention in cases where drones may enter their airspace.
The deployment of HENSOLDT counter-UAS (C-UAS) technology at the G7 Summit in Biarritz is the most recent success of the modular Xpeller family and certainly a highlight of Franco-German cooperation. Through its subsidiary in France in cooperation with Aéroports de Paris (ADP), HENSOLDT was able to support the French authorities in securing a number of events of national and international importance.
HENSOLDT initially demonstrated the capabilities of the Xpeller System as part of ADP’s existing counter-UAV system Hologarde while securing Paris Air Show this year. The installation convinced the customer to immediately reuse the system to secure the national parade on the 14th of July in Paris. The Xpeller modules used in all of the events are Z:NightOwl cameras, Spexer radars and proprietary software. These modules can be easily integrated into existing systems. The experiences gained with and the feedback received from each installation were used to immediately optimize the following deployment.
Given that the initial contact between ADP and HENSOLDT was only established in February 2019, the realisation of three challenging installations in less than six months is yet another success. It proves the agility and flexibility of HENSOLDT Ventures, the home of Xpeller. “HENSOLDT is further cooperating with ADP to provide C-UAS capabilities to airports worldwide,” said Markus Wolf, Director Sales Xpeller. HENSOLDT Ventures offers alternative Xpeller variants to cater to various distance requirements to monitor the target in real-time – even including counter-measures such as jamming and counter-drones.
About HENSOLDT
HENSOLDT is a pioneer of technology and innovation in the field of defence and security electronics. Headquartered in Germany, HENSOLDT is a market leader in the field of civil and military sensor solutions. The company develops new products based on innovative approaches for data management, robotics and cyber security to combat a wide range of threats. With a workforce of some 4,300 employees, HENSOLDT generates revenues of about 1 billion euros per year.
Press contact
Carina Siegmund Tel.: +49 (0)7364.9557.531
carina.siegmund@hensoldt.net
