HENSOLDT and Dronamics Demo ISTAR and Airborne Early Warning on the Black Swan UAV

November 11, 2026

HENSOLDT and Dronamics have demonstrated Europe’s first unmanned airborne early warning (AEW) system combined with ISTAR capability. As part of the campaign, HENSOLDT's MissionGrid sensor suite was integrated, test-flown and validated on board a full-scale Dronamics Black Swan UAV and the combined platform was subsequently demonstrated in flight in front of end users and representatives of different armed forces and government operators, generating significant customer interest.

This is the first time HENSOLDT’s MissionGrid sensor suite with MissMarvin mission management software, PrecISR radar and electro-optical Argos sensor have been demonstrated on an unmanned platform in a fully integrated solution. Furthermore, the outstanding operational performance of HENSOLDT’s software suite MDOcore was successfully demonstrated in flight. Integrated into the Black Swan UAV, MDOcore ensured secure, real-time, cross-domain networking as part of Multi-Domain operations scenarios.

The demonstration covered several mission sets of the joint solution, including air-to-ground detection and tracking of ground targets, including moving vehicles, stationary assets, as well as geolocation, and air-to-maritime detection of vessels on the Danube river.

Dronamics and HENSOLDT intend to continue their collaboration with a view towards operational deployment. As set out at launch, the focus is on strengthening Europe's capabilities, addressing urgent security needs along its Eastern Flank and the Black Sea.

“With these successful flight demonstrations, we have underlined our expertise as a leading systems integrator and pioneer of Software-Defined Defence. Together, we have taken an important step towards realising our shared vision of providing a sovereign, EU-manufactured capability in the NATO Class III UAV category for strategic surveillance, including the detection of low-flying targets,” said Dietmar Thelen, Member of the HENSOLDT Group Executive Board and Head of Division Multi-Domain Solutions at HENSOLDT".

“In February we said we would demonstrate European sensors on a European unmanned aircraft in front of the people tasked with defending Europeans. We have done exactly that. A NATO Class III strategic unmanned platform carrying out airborne early warning, built in Europe, for a fraction of the price of manned AWACS platforms. That is what sovereign EU capability looks like and it is what follow-through looks like. We are grateful to the HENSOLDT team for a partnership that delivers and we are excited about being able to contribute to the defense of Europe and the world.” Svilen Rangelov, Co-Founder and President, Dronamics.

Source : HENSOLDT