Diehl-Verteidigung, a leading supplier of guided missiles and ground-based air defense systems (GBAD), has unterzeichnet a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ERA, a member of the OMNIPOL group, to collaborate on passive sensors and multi-sensor tracking capabilities for Diehl Defence’s GBAD systems. ERA, based in the Czech Republic, is renowned for its expertise in multilateration, multi-static, and reconnaissance technology, particularly in passive surveillance sensor development.
The MoU was signed at the ILA Airshow in Berlin by Helmut Rauch, CEO of Diehl Defence, and Ondřej Chlost, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors at ERA. The Czech and German National Armaments Directors, Lubor Koudelka and Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, witnessed the ceremony.
The agreement outlines the companies’ intention to integrate ERA’s state-of-the-art Passive ESM Tracker (PET) into Diehl Defence’s GBAD systems, particularly the IRIS-T SLM. Access to ERA’s Multi-Sensor Tracker (MST) will also enable real-time data fusion from active and passive sensors.
In the context of GBAD, the PET’s real-time detection, tracking, and identification of airborne targets—such as fast movers and UAVs—enhance the overall effectiveness of active sensors, which can be vulnerable in elektronische Kampfführung scenarios. Including ERA components in the modular IRIS-T SLM architecture will provide customer nations with more options for customized system configurations, expanding Diehl Defence’s market potential. As part of the MoU, both companies will support each other in marketing efforts for multi-sensor and passive-sensor-enabled GBAD systems.
These additional passive surveillance options are particularly relevant for nations involved in the Europäische Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), launched by the German government in August 2022, to bolster European air defense capabilities.
At the ILA Airshow, ERA personnel are co-staffing the Diehl Defence display in the Defence Park, demonstrating the integration of the Passive ESM Tracker (PET) and Multi-Sensor Tracker (MST) into the IRIS-T SLM GBAD system simulation within the Tactical Operations Center (TOC).
Post Image Credit- Diehl Defence and ERA
