Hensoldt Unveils Battle Lab at ILA 2026 for First Time

ILA Berlin Air Show Hensoldt Unveils Battle Lab to the Public for the First Time

2026-06-11 Source: Press release Hensoldt AG, adapted by 2 min Reading Time

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Hensoldt is presenting its Battle Lab for multi-domain operations to the public for the first time at ILA 2026. The integrated demonstration and development environment illustrates how software-based defence capabilities interact in networked, cross-domain systems. It is a central element of the Software-Defined Defence initiative within North Star, Hensoldt’s transformation programme.

Sven Heursch, Chief Digital Officer and Head of Software-Defined Defence at Hensoldt, said: “For us, the Battle Lab is more than just a demonstration environment for multi-domain operations. It is proof that Software-Defined Defence is no longer a vision, but a living reality. Whoever holds superiority in the information domain will determine the outcome on the battlefield of the future. It is precisely this superiority that we are making visible, tangible and scalable here – for our customers, for our partners and for the security of Europe.”

The Battle Lab is a fully networked environment in which real and simulated sensors and systems from all military domains can be combined. Software solutions are tested in specific operational scenarios, and new use cases are developed in collaboration with customers and partners. The aim is to make the complexity of modern networked systems understandable and to clearly demonstrate the operational benefits of software-based solutions. Technically, the Battle Lab comprises two operator workstations, a large-format screen wall for displaying the situational picture, and the so-called ‘Tactic Table’ – an interactive, touch-operated mission table. Hensoldt currently has one static and two deployable Battle Lab environments, as well as a mobile solution.

At ILA 2026, Hensoldt will demonstrate a multi-domain drone defence scenario in the Battle Lab. The company will show how a network of air-, sea- and ground-based sensors detects and combats threats at an early stage. The basis for this is the MDOcore software suite, which serves as the central element of Hensoldt’s software architecture for cross-domain operations.

The SENSE simulation framework enables real sensor data, simulated sensors and effectors, as well as combinations of both approaches, to be mapped within a single scenario. This flexibility allows new software applications to be tested at an early stage and existing systems to be integrated into new software solutions. The Battle Lab is therefore not only a demonstration platform, but also an integration environment that facilitates future developments, integration and scaling.

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