The integration was conducted under realistic NATO networking conditions, with sensor data fused and correlated through the Link 16 network to create a common air picture. HENSOLDT said Twinvis demonstrated strong performance in detecting and tracking airborne targets during the exercise.
Twinvis uses passive radar technology and can support wide-area military airspace surveillance as well as civil air traffic control. Because the system operates without the distinctive emissions associated with an active radar, the companies said it can contribute to low-emission surveillance and increase the survivability of a distributed sensor network.
The exercise also demonstrated Skymaster’s ability to combine data from active radars, passive sensors and electro-optical systems into a single air picture. Rheinmetall and HENSOLDT said such sensor fusion can improve situational awareness while supporting emissions-control strategies intended to reduce the electronic signature of air defence networks.
The approach is intended to strengthen surveillance for high-value infrastructure, critical facilities and mobile military units. Passive sensors can extend existing air defence architectures by providing an additional source of tracking information without relying on active radar emissions.
The companies said the results provide a basis for integrating passive sensor technology into stationary Skynex systems, mobile Skyranger solutions and counter-UAS systems such as Skyspotter. That would allow the same networked approach to be applied across fixed, mobile and counter-drone air defence configurations.
The demonstration was conducted jointly by German Air Force organisations, the Timber Express exercise management team and specialists from Rheinmetall Air Defence and HENSOLDT. The companies said the NATO-compatible integration showed how distributed active and passive sensors can be combined within modern air defence networks while maintaining an open architecture for future systems.
