Hensoldt South Africa concluded what it says was a successful and strategically significant participation at the World Defence Show (WDS) 2026 in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing its long-standing partnership with the Kingdom and showcasing capabilities across its three portfolio areas of electromagnetic warfare (EW), optronics, and radar, IFF and datalink systems.
The first edition of the World Defence Show was held in Riyadh in March 2022, subsequently establishing itself as a premier global defence platform. This year’s edition (8-12 February) saw record participation represented by 1 486 exhibitors from 89 countries, alongside 513 official delegations from 121 countries, and 137 000 visitors. During the show, 60 defence deals were announced with a total value of approximately 33 billion Saudi Riyals ($8.7 billion).
For Hensoldt South Africa (SA), the event provided a high-level stage to engage long-term customers and partners, strengthen industrial relationships and align with the Kingdom’s evolving capability priorities under Saudi Vision 2030, the company said.
As the Hensoldt Group’s largest industrial base outside Germany and one of Africa’s leading defence and security electronics companies, Hensoldt SA has been a trusted partner in the Middle East for nearly two decades, with major deliveries since 2007.
Electromagnetic warfare: sustained presence, strategic localisation
A central focus of Hensoldt South Africa’s presence at WDS was its EW capability portfolio, represented by its GEW business unit, which has built strong recognition in the Kingdom over many years.
Under the recently launched Taervus name, Hensoldt SA presented its tactical land electronic warfare systems – capabilities successfully delivered for many years and continuously evolved to address increasingly complex and contested electromagnetic environments.
Visitors engaged with advanced solutions for signal detection, identification, direction finding and countermeasure deployment. These systems enhance situational awareness, enable spectrum dominance and strengthen force protection – critical capabilities in modern multi-domain operations.
“The World Defence Show is more than an exhibition – it is a strategic touchpoint for long-term partnerships,” said Gilbert do Nascimento, Managing Director of the GEW business unit. “Our sustained presence at this show reflects the importance of Saudi Arabia to our business and our commitment to localisation. Through technology transfer, training and in-country support, we are investing in capabilities that will endure well beyond individual programmes.”
A key enabler of this localisation strategy is Hensoldt Middle East LLC, wholly owned by Hensoldt South Africa. Established to strategically address the local market, the company provides on-the-ground technical support and services while driving knowledge transfer and the progressive development of local expertise.
Optronics: reaffirmed as integral to Hensoldt
The show also served as an important platform to clearly reaffirm that Hensoldt South Africa’s Optronics business remains an integral part of the Hensoldt Group.
The business unit showcased its advanced airborne and land-based electro-optical solutions, including the compact ARGOS-8 and the next-generation ARGOS-15 multi-sensor electro-optical systems. Interest in ARGOS-15 was particularly strong, reflecting regional demand for high-performance ISR capabilities that combine precision, reliability and mission flexibility, Hensoldt SA said, adding the show enabled renewed engagement in a country that remains a strategic focus market for the Optronics SA business.
Radar, IFF and datalink: enabling integrated operations
Hensoldt South Africa’s radar portfolio – including the next-generation mobile surveillance and air-defence radar, Quadome Land – together with its identification friend-or-foe (IFF) and secure datalink solutions such as the DL-6000, were also highlighted at WDS.
These systems form part of integrated air defence and airspace management architectures, providing reliable detection, identification and secure information exchange in demanding operational environments. The show created valuable opportunities to further position these capabilities within the Kingdom’s evolving defence ecosystem and long-term capability roadmap, the company said.
