Rheinmetall to integrate Silvus passive RF sensors into Skynex and Skymaster

Rheinmetall Air Defence AG has signed an agreement with Silvus Technologies to integrate Silvus’s passive radio frequency sensors into its ground-based air defence systems, the German group said on 30 October 2026.

The RFeye sensors will add a passive detection layer to the Skynex air defence system and to the Skymaster command and control platform. According to the release, they identify and locate aerial platforms by exploiting the electromagnetic spectrum, without transmitting and so without revealing the sensors’ own positions. Within Skymaster they are meant to supplement radar coverage and give operators a recognised electromagnetic picture alongside the air picture.

Roman Köhne, chief executive of Rheinmetall Air Defence, linked the agreement to the spread of uncrewed aircraft and other platforms that are hard to detect, saying traditional detection methods “can struggle with identifying new and novel threats” in complex conditions.

Peter Moss, director of strategic NATO accounts at Silvus, described the agreement as a shared commitment to resilient air defence systems for allied forces.

Silvus, a Motorola Solutions company based in Los Angeles, makes MANET radios and equipment for electromagnetic spectrum operations. The release does not give a value, a schedule for the integration or a customer.