The sensor solution provider HENSOLDT is working with DFS, the German air navigation service provider, to allow the use of its Twinvis passive radar for civil air traffic safety. A cooperation agreement has now been signed with the aim of certifying the Twinvis passive radar for civil use by the end of 2026.
Twinvis is a passive radar based on the latest digital technology that can be used for long-range military airspace surveillance or civil air traffic control. A passive radar acts purely as a receiver, i.e. it does not transmit itself, and locates targets by evaluating reflected signals from existing third-party transmitters. In military use, the system enables covert surveillance of large areas using networked receivers and offers the advantage that the radar cannot be located by the enemy and is very difficult to be jammed.
Two studies funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) have already provided important insights into whether the Twinvis passive radar can be used for civil applications (air traffic control). For this purpose, the Twinvis system was installed near Frankfurt Airport, for example. HENSOLDT and DFS worked together as partners in both the studies. As a result of the joint series of tests and live air situation images generated at national airports, DFS was able to see for itself the maturity of the passive sensor technology. The combination of the non-rotating passive radar antenna with the advanced Twinvis software enables the updating of the position of all detected aircraft every second, for instance. This means that tracks from fast-maneuvering aerial targets, such as sailplanes or military aircraft, can be maintained with a high degree of stability.
"The studies demonstrated that passive radar is also highly effective for safeguarding civil air traffic," said HENSOLDT CEO Oliver Dörre. "Having already been successfully deployed in the military sector, the system also offers significant market potential for air traffic control."
From an air traffic control perspective, passive radar technology is particularly attractive because it can be more robust and therefore less maintenance-intensive than conventional radar systems. Currently, DFS operates around 30 radar facilities to monitor German airspace which have a large rotating primary radar. There may soon be a powerful and resource-efficient alternative for these.
In parallel, DFS is already working on utilization concepts for the future use of passive radar data at DFS and on their integration into the DFS infrastructure. To this end, a system will be stationed near Stuttgart Airport before the end of the year.
"We are looking forward to the joint trials at the Stuttgart site with great interest," said Friedrich-Wilhelm Menge, chief technology officer on the DFS executive board. "Following successful certification, we see potential for the future use of this technology."