German Defense Giant Moves Into Ukraine to Keep Air Defense Running Under Fire

German defense company HENSOLDT has established an innovation and support center in Ukraine, bringing critical maintenance and technical capabilities closer to the front lines as demand for air defense systems continues to grow.

The development was reported on March 31 by the OSINT project German Aid to Ukraine.

HENSOLDT, widely recognized as a leading manufacturer of advanced surveillance radars, is moving to position its expertise directly within Ukraine in order to accelerate support for systems already in active use.

One of the company’s most important contributions to Ukraine’s defense is the TRML-4D radar, a key component of the IRIS-T SLM air defense system. These radars play a central role in detecting and tracking aerial threats, forming the backbone of one of Ukraine’s most modern surface-to-air missile platforms.

With the launch of the new center, Ukrainian-based specialists will now be able to carry out diagnostics, servicing, and repairs on these complex systems without sending them abroad—a shift expected to significantly reduce downtime and improve operational readiness.

The move reflects a broader effort to localize support infrastructure for high-end military technology as Ukraine continues to rely on advanced Western systems in its air defense network.

The expansion also builds on a major contract awarded to HENSOLDT in July 2025, when the company secured an order worth more than $370 million to supply additional radar systems to Ukraine.

That package includes further deliveries of TRML-4D radars, along with short-range SPEXER 2000 3D MkIII systems designed to enhance detection capabilities against a wide range of aerial threats.

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