Hensoldt chief executive Oliver Dörre signed the memorandum during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to Ukraine. The German defence company said the partnership aims to support the operational readiness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and strengthen protection for civilians and critical infrastructure.
“The coming winter will be another major test for Ukraine, particularly for its civilian infrastructure,” Dörre said. “President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people can rest assured that HENSOLDT stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.”
“We are doing everything in our power to strengthen the protection of people and infrastructure,” he said. “The Ukrainian air defence forces urgently need our high-performance radars to help protect infrastructure such as bridges.”
“The agreement is an important step towards ensuring this support is reliable and long-term,” Dörre said. The memorandum deepens an existing strategic partnership between Hensoldt and the Ukrainian defence ministry.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have operated Hensoldt equipment since 2022, with TRML-4D radars playing a key role in their air and missile defence operations. The radar serves as a main sensor for the IRIS-T SLM ground-based air defence system.
Ukraine uses IRIS-T SLM to defend civilian areas, critical infrastructure, forces in operational areas and other high-value sites. The performance of the system and its TRML-4D radar in Ukraine has attracted wider European interest, with several European NATO members procuring the systems since 2022.
IRIS-T SLM is also among the preferred ground-based air defence systems included in the European Sky Shield Initiative. Its role in the initiative places Hensoldt’s radar technology within broader European efforts to strengthen air defence.
For Hensoldt, those procurement programmes and rising demand for air defence and air surveillance radars across Europe and NATO are driving an expansion of production capacity. The company is investing in manufacturing facilities and increasing its workforce to meet new orders.
