HENSOLDT is bringing battlefield experimentation into a controlled digital environment, giving military commanders the ability to test and connect systems without deploying into the field.
The “Battle Lab” is a fully networked environment designed to simplify the understanding of complex, software-driven defense systems.
It integrates real and simulated sensors and systems across all military domains, supporting the development of new use cases for allied partners and customers.
At its core is HENSOLDT’s SENSE simulation framework, which enables the inclusion of live operational data alongside simulated sensors and drone threat scenarios within a single test environment.
This setup positions Battle Lab as both a development hub and a demonstration platform, showing users what works in practice and what can be achieved in future operations.
“For us, the Battle Lab is more than just a demonstration environment for multi-domain operations. It is proof that software-defined defense is no longer a vision, but a living reality,” said Sven Heursch, chief digital officer and head of Software-Defined Defense at HENSOLDT.
The Battle Lab Control Space
Battle Lab is built around multiple components, including two operator workstations and a large-format display wall that presents the live mission picture.
Commanders also use an interactive, touch-based mission table known as the “Tactic Table.”
HENSOLDT said Battle Lab is available in static, deployable, and fully mobile configurations, offering flexibility for different operational planning needs.
Seeing the System In Action
The company will demonstrate a multi-domain drone defense scenario using Battle Lab at the International Aerospace Exhibition in Berlin.
The demo will highlight how a layered network of air-, sea-, and ground-based sensor systems can detect and engage incoming threats at an early stage.
“Whoever holds superiority in the information domain will determine the outcome on the battlefield of the future,” Heursch stressed.
“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.”
