Customer agreement with HEVI Optronics follows HENSOLDT making its KENIS sensor technology available as a standalone product.
HENSOLDT South Africa has launched its KENIS 1280 AK thermal imaging sensor as a standalone product, with a customer agreement signed during Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2026.
HENSOLDT South Africa and Estonia-based HEVI Optronics have signed an agreement for the supply of 200 KENIS 1280 AK sensors, which will be integrated into HEVI’s systems for long-range surveillance and Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) applications. The agreement builds on HEVI’s previous procurement of 150 KENIS sensors and continues the cooperation between the two companies.
The agreement expands the availability of the KENIS technology beyond HENSOLDT South Africa’s own optronic systems and into the wider market for sensor solutions.
Sunette Van Rensburg, Head of Sales, Optronics at HENSOLDT South Africa, said, “The KENIS 1280 AK has been proven in our own systems for more than five years. Making it available as a standalone sensor is a natural next step, and securing an order of this scale at AAD is a strong validation of the market opportunity.”
The KENIS 1280 AK is a cooled mid-wave infrared (MWIR) thermal imaging sensor designed for long-range surveillance, target identification and C-UAS applications. It has already been deployed as a core sensor in HENSOLDT’s ARGOS-15 and BushBaby 200 systems for more than five years.
The strategy to offer the sensor as a standalone product reflects demand from system integrators seeking thermal imaging technology that can be incorporated into their own solutions.
The sensor is designed for integration into applications including stabilised airborne systems, land and naval surveillance, border and coastal security, situational awareness and C-UAS solutions. Its compact size, weight and power requirements also support integration into systems where space and available power are constrained.
At the heart of the KENIS 1280 AK is a high-resolution 1280 × 1024 MWIR detector, combined with a 30× continuous optical zoom and HENSOLDT South Africa’s proprietary video-processing technology. Together, these capabilities provide operators and automated systems with detailed thermal imagery for detecting, tracking and identifying targets at long range.
For HEVI Optronics, the KENIS 1280 AK forms part of the sensing capabilities of its HeviTrack-M platforms. Kristjan Tiimus, Chief Executive Officer of HEVI Optronics, said, “HEVI Optronics has standardised the integration of the KENIS 1280 sensor suite from HENSOLDT South Africa to meet the growing demand for high-resolution thermal imaging in long-range detection and C-UAS applications.”
The KENIS 1280 AK is the first sensor from this portfolio that HENSOLDT South Africa is making available as a standalone product. Its established use within HENSOLDT systems provides system integrators with access to technology that has already been fielded in operational environments.
The agreement with HEVI Optronics forms part of HENSOLDT South Africa’s approach to supporting customers developing electro-optical and multi-sensor systems.
