 | |
| Company type | Public (Aktiengesellschaft) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Defence,electronics,aerospace |
| Predecessor | Airbus DS Electronics and Border Security |
| Founded | February 28, 2017; 8 years ago (2017-02-28) |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | worldwide |
Key people | Oliver Dörre (CEO) |
| Products | Electronic equipment,avionics,radars,telecommunications equipment,software |
| Revenue |  €1.47 billion (2021)[1] |
| €-14 million (2021)[1] | |
| €-36 million (2021)[1] | |
| Total assets |  €2.76 billion (2021)[1] |
| Total equity | €1.86 billion (2021)[1] |
| Owner | German government (25.1%) Leonardo S.p.A. (22.8%) Public float (52.1%) |
Number of employees | 6,316[1] (December 2021) |
| Divisions | Hensoldt Sensors, Hensoldt Optronics, GEW Technologies, EuroAvionics Holding,Kelvin Hughes,Nexeya |
| Website | hensoldt |
HensoldtAG(HENSOLDT) is amultinational corporation headquartered inGermany which focuses on sensor technologies for protection andsurveillance missions in thedefence,security andaerospace sectors. The main product areas areradar,optoelectronics andavionics. Hensoldt's main office is inTaufkirchen near Munich,Germany.
On 25 September 2020, Hensoldt AG was listed in the Prime Standard of theFrankfurt Stock Exchange at an issue price of 12.00 euros. Based on the issue price, the market capitalisation amounted to 1.26 billion euros.[2]
The company originated from the electronics business unit of thedefence division of theAirbus. At the end of February 2017, Airbus sold this business unit to the US financial investorKKR[3][4][5] for 1.1 billion euros.[6] Since December 2020, the government of Germany holds a minimum share,[7] which is managed by theFederal Ministry of Defence (BMVg).
Since 2017, the company has been known as Hensoldt. The company's name can be traced back to Moritz Carl Hensoldt (1821–1903), a German pioneer ofoptics and precision mechanics in the 19th century. In 1852, he founded an optical workshop for telescopes, astronomical equipment and microscopes.[8][9]
In 2019, news agency Reuters reported that KKR was in the process of preparing for a listing of 20-30% on the stock exchange or a sale of Hensoldt.[6]
In 2023, Hensoldt acquired defence systems integratorESG Elektroniksystem for an enterprise value of 675 million euros ($727.79 million), along with anearn-out of up to 55 million euros.[10]
The Hensoldt Group's holding structure includes the following direct and indirect operating subsidiaries (as of September 2019):
Hensoldt develops and manufactures radar systems for the purposes ofsurveillance,reconnaissance,air traffic control andair defence. These radars are used on such platforms as theEurofighter, the German Navy'sF125 frigates and the US Navy'slittoral combat ships and ground-based systems. In September 2017, Hensoldt acquired the British radar manufacturerKelvin Hughes from the private equity firmECI.[17][18]
Ground based air defense sensors includeTRML-3D[19] and TRML-4D[20][21][22] active radar andTwInvis [de]passive radar.[23][24] Hensoldt claims to have detected twoF-35 fighter jets as they were leaving from theILA Berlin Air Show in 2018 with their passive TwInvis radar system.[25][26] Naval air defense radars includeTRS-3D [de][27] and TRS-4D in fixed panel[28] and rotator[29] variants.
Hensoldt manufactures optical and optronic devices for military and civil security applications. The main components of these devices are daylight cameras,thermal imagers,image intensifiers andlaser rangefinders. The systems are used on various platforms for air, ground, sea and space missions as well as for the protection of infrastructures and borderlands.[30] The optronic systems are used on board thePuma infantry fighting vehicle,Leopard main battle tank,212 and209 type submarines,[31]Gripen andRafale combat aircraft,AHRLAC reconnaissance aircraft,Baykar TB2 UAV, theCamcopter,Diamond DA42, and theEDRS-A satellite. In addition to this, Hensoldt also manufacturessights, targeting optics and optical systems deployed in theLeopard 2 main battle tank,PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer,NH90 andTiger transport and combat helicopters, as well as in the“Future Soldier” programme for modernising the infantry of theBundeswehr, the German Armed Forces.[32]
The main system manufactured is the Sferion Pilot Assistance system, which allows for safe flight operations in a degraded visual environment.[33] Products also includesituational awareness systems, military mission computers andflight data recorders for helicopters and fighter aircraft. The company has set up the air traffic control network of theGerman Air Force, covering an airspace of 1,700 x 1,500 kilometres, by equipping airports used by the air force with ASR-S surveillance radar.[34] Further air traffic control radars by Hensoldt are under contract for Great Britain, Australia and Canada.[35] In August 2017, Hensoldt acquired the German-based company EuroAvionics GmbH, a supplier of civil avionics systems for helicopters and UAVs.[14]
Hensoldt's product portfolio for electronic warfare includes 'Kalaetron' family of airborne electronic warfare system, including "Kalaetron Attack" aimed at jamming enemy radars.[36]The company is also a manufacturer of systems for acquiring and analysing radar and radio signals as well as equipments which offer protection for convoys and individual vehicles from attacks byimprovised explosive devices (IED).[37] The company developedMUSS, an operational electronic self-protection system for armored vehicles, which is integrated into the German Armed Forces’Puma infantry fighting vehicle.[38][39]
In October 2018, the German government imposed a ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia, citing theassassination of Jamal Khashoggi.[40][41] However, in September 2022, reports revealed that despite the government embargo, Hensoldt continued to sell arms to the Arab nation. In 2019, the firm indulged in a deal for the establishment of a joint venture with the Kingdom's state-owned arms manufacturer,Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI). The German firm also used its subsidiaries in theUnited Kingdom,France andSouth Africa to continue supplying arms to Riyadh, as the foreign branches were not subjected to the German arms embargo. In 2020, Saudi required radars for its border withYemen, where the United Arab Emirates and Saudi-led coalition were waging a deadlywar. While hundreds of thousands of people, including civilians, died in theYemen war, Hensoldt's boards members were in talks to win the contract. Moreover, Hensoldt had been acting as a subcontractor, supplying components toSpanish and French manufacturers, who continued the arms exports to Saudi Arabia.[42]
