Taufkirchen, Germany, 14 September 2021 – Sensor solutions provider HENSOLDT and L3Harris Technologies join forces to develop new capabilities for NATO’s Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme. Both companies have signed a joint strategic cooperation agreement to combine their respective skills in the areas of platform-independent mission solutions.

In the frame of the cooperation, HENSOLDT, with its track record in developing and manufacturing sensors and mission systems, will contribute, among other things, capabilities in the areas of active and passive sensors, sensor data fusion and network management capabilities.

“Next-generation surveillance requires an intelligent approach to platform-independent, networked high-end sensors, AI-based date exploitation and dissemination” said Jürgen Halder, Head of Strategic Projects at HENSOLDT’s Spectrum Dominance division. “L3Harris and HENSOLDT with their respective strengths are ideally suited to offer NATO the optimum solution.”

“Our team will explore open systems, multi-function solutions and data-centric concepts to sustain the NATO Alliance’s military advantage from 2035 and beyond“,  said Dave Johnson, Vice President, Strategy, Integrated Mission Systems, L3Harris.

L3Harris and HENSOLDT are part of an international team that brings together NATO nations’ industrial expertise in surveillance and control. This team will analyse the risks and feasibility of technologies and components within its system-of-systems approach to enhance the NATO Alliance’s capabilities to 2035 and beyond.  L3Harris’ international teammates share a common vision: to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of future NATO military operations through the procurement and integration of a multi-domain (AFSC) capability centred around the data enterprise.

DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) (“DroneShield” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce a material capability upgrade to its multi-domain DroneSentryTM counterdrone / counter-UxS threat awareness and response system, via addition of SonarOneTM, cutting edge sonar detection system, for directional real time reporting of underwater threats.

SonarOneTM is a sophisticated sonar monitoring device capable of detecting and tracking hostile unmanned underwater vehicles (“UUVs”) or diver intruders in protected waters. Ideal for deployment around naval vessels, harbours, and critical infrastructure, SonarOneTM is easy to install and monitor via the DroneSentry-C2TM, DroneShield’s intuitive and easy to use operator interface, with no specialist sonar training required.

Oleg Vornik, DroneShield’s CEO, commented, “With the inclusion of SonarOne, the DroneSentry system provides a comprehensive all-domain awareness and protection system, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs), Unmanned Water Surface Vehicles (USVs), UUVs, and divers.

As the original counter-UAS market pioneer which set the industry standards since its inception, we are pleased to continue leading the market by offering this breakthrough unique capability to our customers globally.”

Image: overview of a facility protected with the full suite of DroneShield sensors

With a substantial detection range for divers and UUVs, SonarOneTM can protect large sites with few installation points, reducing the amount of preparation required by the installer and the need for pre-existing infrastructure. With its directional capability and simultaneous tracking of multiple targets, SonarOneTM provides the operator with complete awareness of multi-directional underwater robotic and manned swarm attacks.

The product is unrestricted in deployment, meaning it is available for sale, and expected to be of interest to, a wide range of customers including ports, harbours, naval bases, private yachts, residences, power stations, and various offshore platforms.

Additional product details are available here.