Skip to Content Facebook Feature Image

Weibel’s XENTA-M5 selected for Poland’s SAN Counter-UAS programme.

Business

Weibel’s XENTA-M5 selected for Poland’s SAN Counter-UAS programme.
Business

Business

Weibel’s XENTA-M5 selected for Poland’s SAN Counter-UAS programme.

2026-10-27 16:00 Last Updated At:16:20

ALLERØD, Denmark--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 27, 2026--

European air defense starts with the ability to see the threat early enough to act.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261027981623/en/

On Europe’s eastern flank, Poland is building SAN as an integrated Counter-UAS capability. By bringing sensors, command-and-control and effectors together, SAN reflects Europe’s accelerating build-up of Counter-UAS capability and the move from the ambition of a European Drone Wall towards operational capability.

XENTA-M5 has been selected as a radar capability for SAN. The €84 million contract with PIT-RADWAR is the largest order in Weibel’s history.

“Turning Counter-UAS ambition into operational capability starts with the ability to see and understand the threat. XENTA-M5 provides the detection, tracking and classification that enables the wider system to act. Its selection for SAN puts Weibel radar technology at a critical point in the operational chain, providing the air picture needed for an effective response,” says Peter Røpke, CEO of Weibel Scientific.

Building Counter-UAS capability on Europe’s eastern flank

The SAN programme brings together sensors, command-and-control and effectors in an integrated Counter-UAS architecture within Poland’s national air defense.

Weibel’s role is in the sensor layer. XENTA-M5 detects, tracks and classifies a broad range of airborne threats, from small, low-flying drones to aircraft and other aerial targets. Its continuously updated air picture provides the sensor data needed by the wider command-and-control architecture, giving operators more time and information to assess threats and determine an appropriate response.

Weibel steps up in scale

The €84 million contract is the largest order in Weibel’s history and represents a milestone for the Danish radar company. It puts Weibel’s specialized radar technology into a major European defense programme, placing new demands on industrial capacity, production and delivery.

The contract builds on Weibel’s established position in advanced radar technology. The company has delivered more than 6,000 radar systems to customers in over 45 countries.

“European defense is moving fast, and industry has to move with it,” says Peter Røpke. “Weibel has the technology. This contract raises the bar for what we must deliver as a company and the responsibility we take on as Europe strengthens its defense capability. ”

PIT-RADWAR, Weibel’s customer under the contract, is a Polish defense electronics company specializing in radar technology, command-and-control and air-defense systems.

Key facts about the XENTA-M5 contract

Customer: PIT-RADWAR

Programme: SAN Counter-UAS

End user: Polish Armed Forces

Contract value: DKK 625 million, approximately €84 million

Weibel delivery: XENTA-M5 radar systems

Primary role: Detection, tracking and classification of airborne threats

Target set: Small drones, aircraft and other aerial targets

About Weibel Scientific

Weibel Scientific is a Danish radar company specializing in continuous-wave Doppler technology. Founded in 1977 and headquartered in Allerød, Denmark, the company develops and manufactures radar systems for defense, aerospace, and critical-infrastructure protection. Weibel owns and develops its core radar technology, giving the company direct control over the technology’s continued development and the ability to adapt its systems as operational requirements evolve. The company employs more than 600 people and has delivered approximately 6,000 radar systems to over 45 countries.

Weibel XENTA radar

Weibel XENTA radar

BEIJING (AP) — French soccer star Kylian Mbappé's face appears in ads across China, from subway stations to elevators, but now at least three companies are cutting ties with the national team captain after he made some comments apparently referring to Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China, as a dictator.

Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced Tuesday in similarly worded statements that they were ending agreements with the soccer star, each saying they oppose “any words and actions that hurt national sentiment.”

The companies did not specify what prompted their decisions, but they released their statements after a clip that appeared to show Mbappé being interviewed ahead of going on the French online talk show “The Bridge” circulated on X.

In the video, Mbappé is asked about his favorite meme of himself, and the soccer star replies that it was “a video someone made of a guy ... I think he was a Chinese dictator” before the video shows an altered image depicting Mbappé's face on the blue-suited body of Mao Zedong.

Soccer fans online jokingly call the star — who's said to overshadow many of his teammates and even the teams he plays on — a dictator, and memes showing him as Mao or other autocratic leaders are widely circulated.

The Associated Press was immediately unable to reach Mbappé's representatives for comment.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in response to a question about the controversy that “words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society.”

Social media platform RedNote joined the criticism, saying in a separate statement that the company had a content partnership with Mbappé that ended on Dec. 31, 2024, and that it would “remove related promotional materials.” It likewise expressed opposition to “any conduct that hurts national sentiment.”

Mbappé's account on RedNote was not accepting new followers Tuesday.

Mbappé has featured in advertising campaigns in China for products from electrolyte drinks to milk and cheese. In one commercial for Dongpeng, Mbappé delivers a slogan in Chinese; in an ad for Mengniu, he appears alongside Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi.

On Chinese social media, there were already several comments criticizing the soccer star.

The hashtags “Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappé” and “Several brands end partnerships with Mbappé” topped Weibo’s trending list. “Football fans boycott Mbappé” was also trending, with some users expressing anger at his remarks or telling him not to come to China.

Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this report from Beijing.

Bottles of electrolyte drink by Dongpeng Beverage Group featuring images of French soccer star Kylian Mbappé are displayed for sale at a supermarket in Beijing, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Bottles of electrolyte drink by Dongpeng Beverage Group featuring images of French soccer star Kylian Mbappé are displayed for sale at a supermarket in Beijing, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Bottles of electrolyte drink by Dongpeng Beverage Group featuring images of French soccer star Kylian Mbappé are displayed for sale at a supermarket in Beijing, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Bottles of electrolyte drink by Dongpeng Beverage Group featuring images of French soccer star Kylian Mbappé are displayed for sale at a supermarket in Beijing, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

France's soccer player Kylian Mbappé attends the Ballon d'Or ceremony at the London Palladium Theatre in London, England, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026 . (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

France's soccer player Kylian Mbappé attends the Ballon d'Or ceremony at the London Palladium Theatre in London, England, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026 . (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Recommended Articles