Hensoldt awarded EUR17.6 million contract to develop optical detection system for Bundeswehr

The image of Hensoldt's Odaeon optical detection system. (Hensoldt)

The German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) awarded a EUR17.6 million (USD18.4 million) contract to sensor maker Hensoldt to develop an optical detection system demonstrator called Odaeon, according to a 17 February company press release.

The concept review was completed in December 2024, and the design phase is already under way. The contract for the project runs until the end of 2026, with the demonstrator to be tested by BAAINBw from 2026.

The optical detection system demonstrator builds on Hensoldt's Multifunctional Self-Protection System (Multifunktionales Selbstschutz-System: MUSS) Jammer Head 2 technology. The next step for Odaeon, according to Hensoldt, will be to enable the detection and analysis of enemy optical systems in real time. These systems can be unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and target acquisition devices. Jamming, which interferes with electro-optical systems, and dazzling, which is used to oversaturate optical systems with strong light pulses, “can be added in subsequent development stages”.

Odaeon will also feature interfaces to existing systems, with Hensoldt planning a further development in the form of “fusing Odaeon and MUSS technologies”.

For more information, please seeFuture Armoured Vehicles Survivability 2022: Hensoldt develops MUSS 2.0 APSandMUSS .