Airbus DS’s newly formed Electronics and Border Security (EBS) unit is making its public debut at ILA 2016. EBS combines various Airbus security and defence electronics activities, offering products for reconnaissance and intelligence, the protection of soldiers and the creation of situation pictures, based on the technology inherited from predecessors such as Telefunken, Zeiss, Dornier and Siemens.

EBS is currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airbus Defence and Space. The Airbus Group has concluded an agreement with investment company KKR for the sale of shares and has initially transferred 74.9% of EBS shares to KKR. The agreement is subject to approval from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and is expected to take effect by the first quarter of 2017 at the latest.

Thereafter, the company – which has around 4,000 employees and €1 billion in revenues – will adopt the brand name “Hensoldt” – a German pioneer of sensor technology whose name represents “a combination of innovation and efficiency”.

The company is presenting latest developments in the area of sensor technology and the creation of situation pictures, including the ASR airport surveillance radar, the TRS-4D naval radar system, which is at present being installed on the new German Navy frigates, and the MILDS missile warning sensor, which is claimed to be the world’s leading warning sensor for helicopters and wide-body aircraft.

EBS is also demonstrating two space applications. The Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA) will be used as part of the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer Mission (JUICE) for exploring three Galilean moons: Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. In addition, EBS is providing the optical and electronic components for the BepiColombo Laser Altimeter (BELA) for exploring Mercury.

UPDATE:

EBS announced at the show that it was entering into a strategic partnership with Lotus Aviation Technologies Pvt. Ltd., based in Delhi, to jointly offer products of the SFERION product family to the Indian Armed Forces. SFERION is an advanced pilot assistance system protecting helicopters in restricted visibility conditions.