During the German Air Force exercise Timber Express 2026 in Manching, Rheinmetall Air Defence and Hensoldt achieved a milestone in the development of networked air defence.
During the exercise, the air picture generated by Hensoldt’s Twinvis passive radar was successfully integrated into Rheinmetall’s Skymaster command and weapon engagement system, which was directing the Skynex air defence battery deployed during the scenario.
The integration was conducted under realistic NATO networking conditions and demonstrated the flexibility and open architecture of the Skymaster system. A common air picture was generated by fusing and correlating sensor data within NATO’s Link 16 network.
Hensoldt’s Twinvis passive radar demonstrated its ability to detect and track air targets. Twinvis is a passive radar based on digital technology that can be used for wide-area military airspace surveillance and civil air traffic control.
Skymaster can combine active and passive radar sensors with electro-optical sensors to create a comprehensive air picture within an air defence network. This capability creates opportunities for resilient, low-emission air surveillance in line with modern emissions control (EMCON) strategies, while supporting situational awareness for the protection of high-value infrastructure, critical facilities and mobile military units.
The demonstration highlights the potential of distributed and interconnected sensor networks and shows how passive sensor technologies can extend and complement existing air defence systems. Passive systems can also contribute to network survivability through their low-emission characteristics and the absence of a distinctive radar signature.
The findings provide a foundation for integrating the technology into stationary Skynex systems, mobile Skyranger solutions and modern counter-UAS systems such as Skyspotter.
The successful trial was made possible through cooperation between participating German Air Force organisations, the exercise management team and expert teams from Rheinmetall Air Defence and Hensoldt. The partners achieved a NATO-compatible integration in a challenging technical environment, supporting the continued development of integrated air defence capabilities.
