German sensor solutions company Hensoldt is set to build a production site near Ulm to accelerate its delivery of air and drone defense radars amid rising demand from customers.
The company said it has signed a lease for an external industrial hall that will be converted into a dedicated radar manufacturing facility and will invest a “mid-double-digit million-euro amount” in the build-out.
The new line will concentrate on the series production of radars for air defense and counter-unmanned aerial system missions. From 2027, Hensoldt targets an annual output of around 1,000 radar units, significantly expanding capacity for key products used to detect, track and classify fast-moving threats. Development and production in Ulm will remain the core of the company’s radar competence, with roughly 3,000 employees continuing to work there, the firm said.
“Due to the massive expansion of production capacity over the last two years, we are reaching the limits of the space available at the Ulm site. We have now found a solution to this and are ensuring a rapid expansion of capacity to safeguard Hensoldt’s ability to act,” said Christian Ladurner, the company’s chief financial officer. “Our main customers, above all the German Armed Forces, have urgent needs, and under the current structures we are not in a position to meet these requirements. Therefore, expanding our capacities is not only necessary but also without alternative.”
In July, Hensoldt won a new order to supply TRML-4D and SPEXER 2000 3D MkIII radars to enhance Ukraine’s air defense as part of a broader package valued at nearly $400 million. Earlier this year, the company also received a $365 million follow-on award from Airbus Defence and Space to continue work on the Eurofighter Common Radar System Mark 1, aimed at sharpening air-to-air and air-to-ground performance. Separately, Hensoldt and Lockheed Martin are co-developing maritime radar and command and control capabilities.
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