HENSOLDT - Experts & Thought Leaders

HENSOLDT AG announces that Sven Heursch, previously Head of Software-Defined Defence & Digitalisation, will be appointed Chief Digital Officer (CDO) with effect from 1 January 2026. In this role, Heursch will be a permanent member of the Group Executive Committee (GEC) and report directly to CEO Oliver Dörre. This appointment underscores the strategic importance of software-defined defence (SDD) and the digitalisation of the product portfolio as central elements of HENSOLDT's ‘North Star’ corporate strategy. Leadership responsibility The new role combines leadership responsibility for the CTO division and engineering governance with the role of Head of Software-Defined Defence & Digitalisation in order to anchor innovation, software, data and AI even more firmly across the entire product portfolio, establish cyber security as a key design driver and thus expand HENSOLDT's position as a pioneer of resilient software-defined sensor solutions. "Sven Heursch has already achieved a great deal in a very short time in his previous role. In his new role, he will provide decisive impetus for the further implementation of our “North Star” strategy and thus make a significant contribution to our future growth," says CEO Oliver Dörre. Digitalisation of the entire product portfolio Sven Heursch adds: "The position creates clear responsibilities for the digitalisation of the entire product portfolio, a one-stop engineering transformation, the cultural development into a digital company, and modern development and operating models for our products. I look forward to implementing these tasks together with the technology and engineering teams." The Chief Digital Officer is responsible for the entire digital transformation of the product portfolio and will, among other things, manage technology roadmaps, engineering standards and modularisation across all business areas and increase scalability, delivery speed and interoperability throughout the company with a consistent focus on digitalisation. This includes the development of scalable, software-based sensor solutions, AI-supported data fusion and software suites such as MDOcore, and digital services for military and security-related applications. Requirements of modern conflicts Sven Heursch took on the role of Head of Software-Defined Defence & Digitalisation at HENSOLDT on 1 August 2025. Since then, he has been a key driver of the HENSOLDT Group's digital transformation. Before joining HENSOLDT, Heursch served in the German Armed Forces for 26 years as an officer in the Air Force, reaching the rank of Colonel (General Staff). His assignments included missions in Afghanistan (2009 and 2010), which gave him a deep understanding of the operational and tactical requirements of modern conflicts. Digital modernisation and technological development After his military career, he moved into global strategy and technology consulting, where he advised international defence companies on transformation programmes, digital modernisation and technological development. The combination of military experience, strategic and technological industry expertise and transformation competence shapes his perspective on the challenges facing the defence industry in the context of the 2.0 era.

At this year’s Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition, defence technology pioneer HENSOLDT and real-time analytics pioneer KX signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on next-generation defence data solutions. The agreement marks a strategic alignment between HENSOLDT’s advanced sensor, mission system, and Electromagnetic Warfare capabilities and KX’s world-class high-performance analytics platform, used globally across sectors where milliseconds matter. Integrating KX’s ultra-low latency analytics By integrating KX’s ultra-low latency analytics with HENSOLDT’s multi-domain ISR/SIGINT systems By integrating KX’s ultra-low latency analytics with HENSOLDT’s multi-domain intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR/SIGINT) systems, the two companies aim to deliver faster, smarter situational awareness to armed forces — starting with the German military and approved international partners. “Modern defence operations demand the rapid transformation of sensor data into actionable intelligence,” said Jürgen Halder, Vice President Airborne SIGINT at HENSOLDT. “KX’s real-time analytics perfectly complement HENSOLDT’s sensor portfolio, creating a formidable capability to meet our customers’ most demanding operational needs.” KX’s proven real-time technology “This strategic relationship extends KX’s proven real-time technology into mission-critical defence operations,” said Gary Connolly, Vice President Aerospace, Defence, Space and Security at KX. “Together with HENSOLDT, we will help armed forces achieve the speed, precision, and situational awareness required to succeed in the most demanding environments.” Real-time command-level intelligence The collaboration will initially focus on delivering real-time command-level intelligence across multi-domain operations, advanced battlespace management, synthetic training environments, and Electromagnetic Warfare scenarios. With modern conflicts increasingly driven by the ability to act on data in real time, this represents a long-term commitment to delivering decisive information advantage and mission success in modern defence operations.

Sensor solutions provider HENSOLDT will present its latest technological advancements at DSEI 2025 in London from 9 to 12 September 2025. One of HENSOLDT's core competencies is the active and passive detection of threats and the protection of platforms and their users. In this context, software-defined defence plays a crucial role. Latest AESA radar technology The latest AESA radar technology and ensures the rapid detection and tracking of around 1,500 targets The TRML-4D air defence radar will be on exhibit at DSEI. It is based on the latest AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar technology and ensures the rapid detection and tracking of around 1,500 targets within a radius of up to 250 kilometres. It is capable of quickly and reliably detecting and tracking all types of air targets - cruise missiles, rockets, drones and aircraft - and classifying them for engagement. The SPEXER radar family will also be on show. It offers high-performance surveillance radars for various ranges for automatic detection and classification of ground, sea and low-flying air targets. Advanced solutions for armoured vehicles In the land domain, HENSOLDT will showcase its advanced solutions for armoured vehicles with the “Multi Utility Vehicle” (MUV), including innovative optronic systems such as MUSS (Multifunctional Self-Defence System) and SETAS (See Through Armour System).  The solution Ceretron by HENSOLDT combines sensors, fuses their data streams, evaluates and processes them in seconds and provides an AI-supported operational picture to the crew, thus enabling them to make smarter decisions even faster. Key to successful military operations The key to successful military operations lies in accurate reconnaissance, effective targeting, and precise engagement. For this, HENSOLDT presents TAROSS; its Target Acquisition & Reconnaissance Optronical Sighting System.  With its modern hardware and software architecture, TAROSS is giving a glimpse into the future of connectivity and software-defined defence by supporting the troops in the sensor-to-shooter cycle. AI-supported software for detection and tracking TAROSS is a modular, scalable solution, that is designed for use on remote-controlled weapons stations TAROSS is a modular, scalable solution, that is designed for use on remote-controlled weapons stations, medium calibre turrets, light reconnaissance vehicles, and UGVs.  In addition to its high-performance optical sensors and its AI-supported software for detection and tracking, it offers a direct interface to Ceretron and can be easily integrated into existing and upcoming vehicle and weapon systems. Airborne system for electronic signals intelligence In addition, the Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System (PEGASUS) will be on display. HENSOLDT was awarded the contract to supply an airborne system for electronic signals intelligence on board of three Bombardier jets based on its "Kalætron Integral" system, which collects and analyses signals from radar and radio systems. Led by HENSOLDT for the German armed forces, the SIGINT system will be integrated on the Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, the optimal platform to complete these critical missions.