Rheinmetall to add Silvus RFeye passive RF sensors to Skynex air defence and Skymaster

TLDR

• Rheinmetall Air Defence signed an agreement to integrate Silvus RFeye passive RF sensors into Skynex and Skymaster.¹²³
• The sensors locate aerial platforms from their emissions without transmitting, supplementing radar, according to Rheinmetall.¹
• Defense WarRoom says contract value and timelines are undisclosed, and passive RF cannot detect drones that do not emit.⁴

Rheinmetall Air Defence AG has entered into an agreement with Silvus Technologies, a Motorola Solutions company, to integrate Silvus's passive radio frequency (RF) sensors into Rheinmetall's ground-based air defence systems, the German group said on 30 October.¹²³ The RFeye sensors are to add a passive detection layer to the Skynex air defence system and the Skymaster command and control platform by exploiting the electromagnetic spectrum.¹ Rheinmetall says the sensors identify and locate aerial platforms without transmitting or revealing their own locations, and that within Skymaster they supplement radar coverage to give operators a more persistent air picture and a recognised electromagnetic picture (REMP).¹³

Roman Köhne, chief executive of Rheinmetall Air Defence, said modern airspace is becoming more congested and harder to monitor because of the proliferation of unmanned aircraft and hard-to-detect aerial technologies, and that "traditional detection methods alone can struggle with identifying new and novel threats in complex operating conditions."¹ Peter Moss, director of strategic NATO accounts at Silvus Technologies, said the agreement "reflects a shared commitment to delivering resilient air defence systems for allied forces."¹

Defense WarRoom, which describes Skynex as a control node running Skymaster, an X-TAR3D search radar and up to four 35 mm Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3 mounts, says contract value and timelines remain undisclosed.⁴ It argues that passive sensing lets a battery cue on drone control links, video downlinks and telemetry while reducing the time its radar must radiate, but that passive RF cannot detect a target that is not emitting, such as a drone flying a pre-programmed route under radio silence or one guided by fibre-optic cable.⁴ In its assessment, RFeye complements radar and does not replace it.⁴

Why it matters: the agreement adds an emission-based sensing layer to a gun-based air defence system as unmanned aircraft proliferate, but the European Defence Review and Defence Industry Europe reports repeat Rheinmetall's announcement, no contract value or timeline has been disclosed, and Defense WarRoom says passive RF cannot detect drones that do not emit.¹²³⁴