HENSOLDT–AVILUS UAV Partnership — Sovereign ISR at Speed
Why does this partnership matter?
The HENSOLDT–AVILUS UAV partnership brings German sensor leadership together with agile UAV engineering to field sovereign, scalable ISR platforms. The alliance blends HENSOLDT’s electro-optical suites, AMPS-M self-protection, and PrecISR radar with AVILUS’s certified mission services and modular airframes, thus shortening the path from prototype to fielded capability.
Sensors first: sharpening the ISR edge
HENSOLDT’s latest electro-optical system detects, classifies, and tracks targets using multispectral imaging and AI-assisted real-time processing. It fuses HD thermal, colour/low light, SWIR, and wide-angle views on a precision 4-axis gimbal, so operators gain continuous situational awareness across days, nights, and bad weather. This integrated approach reduces hand-off delays and improves positive ID.
AMPS-M: survivability for contested airspace
To keep unmanned assets in the fight, the HENSOLDT–AVILUS partnership uses AMPS-M. It is a modular self-protection suite with up to 16 smart decoy launchers. It links missile, laser, and radar warnings into one responsive network. Proven across more than 700 operational systems, its countermeasures are combat-tested. This protection helps UAVs finish ISR, logistics, and CASEVAC missions more reliably.
PrecISR: software-defined radar reach
For wide-area surveillance, PrecISR offers advanced X-band GaN AESA capabilities with electronic scanning and the ability It tracks large target sets over land, sea, and air, even in poor weather, while fitting compact UAV bays. Crucially, its integration footprint and ITAR-free status simplify export and coalition deployment.
AVILUS: from platform to service
AVILUS complements the sensor stack with a mission-operating framework and a Drone-as-a-Service model. Therefore, forces can field capability without buying fleets or building operators from scratch, which accelerates trials, compliance, and scale-up. Moreover, the company-owned, company-operated approach supports civil approvals for tasks like disaster response and critical-infrastructure patrols.
Use-cases: from border security to CASEVAC
The HENSOLDT–AVILUS UAV partnership focuses on important areas where reliable self-operating technology is needed, such as quick With secure ISR payloads and flexible airframes, units can change their functions in the field and stay close to the action while avoiding the risks and expenses of using piloted aircraft. Initial demos and pilots are already underway to prove availability and shorten deployment timelines.
Sovereignty, scale, and speed
Germany‘s drive for software-defined defences benefits from this stack: sensor fusion, survivable UAVs, and service delivery. Consequently, programs can evolve through software and payload updates rather than full aircraft resets. In reality, the HENSOLDT–AVILUS UAV partnership provides European customers with a reliable and immediate improvement in ISR that meets export and coalition requirements.
References
- HENSOLDT press release on the partnership. HENSOLDT
- HENSOLDT PrecISR product overview. HENSOLDT
- HENSOLDT AMPS airborne self-protection system. HENSOLDT
- AVILUS Drone-as-a-Service overview. avilus.com
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