Despite the volatile geopolitical and global economic situation, Rohde & Schwarz closed the 2024/2025 fiscal year successfully. The technology group managed to leverage its potential – and not only in the security and defense sector. The test and measurement business also proved stable thanks to its diversified product portfolio. The group continues to secure its competitive edge by investing in employees, value creation and key technologies.
Revenue for Rohde & Schwarz rose by 7.8 percent to EUR 3.16 billion, exceeding the three-billion-euro mark for the first time in the group’s history. The order backlog also reached a record high of over EUR 5 billion, and the operating result was positive. The group recorded strong business performance, particularly in Germany, Europe and North America.
The strong order situation is reflected in the growing workforce. Employee numbers have risen to over 15,000 worldwide, with nearly 10,000 in Germany alone. Rohde & Schwarz continues to expand its teams both at its headquarters and at several German and international locations.
Investments ensure resilience and competitiveness
As a privately owned company, Rohde & Schwarz focuses on financial independence, long-term strategic planning and a high level of vertical integration. Having its own state-of-the-art production facilities ensures flexibility, scalability and delivery reliability. Over the past few years, some EUR 300 million have been invested in production capacity. Further extensive expansion of production facilities in Germany, the Czech Republic and Malaysia is already in planning.
To remain a technology leader in the future, Rohde & Schwarz regularly invests a double-digit percentage of its revenue in research and development. The group focuses on key technologies such as frequencies above 100 GHz, mmWave, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors and modular software architecture.
Major security and defense projects ensure high order intake
Against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, demand for advanced security and defense solutions remains high. Rohde & Schwarz is supplying command and control radios as part of the complex Digitalization of Land-Based Operations (D-LBO) program. In addition, the group has won several strategically important naval projects and significantly expanded its position in this area. The German Navy, for instance, relies on Rohde & Schwarz communications and reconnaissance systems for all of its F124-class frigates. In Australia, the Hunter-class frigates are equipped with the group’s solutions.
Artificial intelligence is also becoming increasingly important in defense technology. In the European Future Combat Air System (FCAS), for example, AI will accelerate the evaluation of sensor data and mission planning. Rohde & Schwarz and its subsidiary Schönhofer Sales and Engineering GmbH are part of the AI backbone development for FCAS. In the past fiscal year, a decisive milestone was reached: the first release took just nine months.
Well positioned for civil air traffic control and critical infrastructure protection
Rohde & Schwarz also plays a key role in shaping the future of civil aviation safety. In May 2025, Rohde & Schwarz USA received a groundbreaking order from the Federal Aviation Administration to replace analog communications infrastructure with voice communications system at airports and air traffic control facilities in the United States. In addition, the group further expanded its leading position in millimeterwave security scanners for passenger screening. In March 2025, the 2000th security scanner worldwide was installed at Kansai International Airport in Japan. Furthermore, the walk-through millimeterwave security scanner was the first of its kind to receive approval for use in airports.
Recently, drones have repeatedly caused significant disruptions to air traffic. Rohde & Schwarz is systematically expanding its proven solutions for drone detection and defense. Among these solutions is the ability to identify unauthorized drones in 5G campus networks. In October 2025, Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF announced a partnership to develop and deliver a comprehensive, sovereign drone defense solution.
Research into the future of wireless communications opens up new opportunities
The market for test and measurement equipment remains challenging. Once again, the diversified Rohde & Schwarz product portfolio has helped keep business stable. Customers use the group’s solutions to perform research on the next generation of wireless communications (6G), on AI and machine learning in mobile networks, and on the integration of sensor technology and communications.
Artificial intelligence is expected to enable even higher data rates and lower latency in wireless communications in the future. Rohde & Schwarz, in collaboration with NVIDIA, has achieved a significant breakthrough in research for AI-supported wireless communications. The latest proof of concept, which was displayed at Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona, creates a solid foundation for more realistic testing of neural receivers for 5G-Advanced and 6G.
Satellite-based mobile communications and New Space as growth drivers
Demand for test solutions is also being driven by the convergence of terrestrial and satellite-based mobile networks. These non-terrestrial networks are designed to ensure comprehensive mobile coverage, even in remote areas. Thanks to its expertise in cellular and satellite-based communications, the group can benefit from developments in this growth area and is involved in several research projects. For instance, Rohde & Schwarz, in collaboration with partner companies, gave a live demonstration of a new 5G satellite technology for non-terrestrial networks at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. In Europe, Rohde & Schwarz participated in establishing a connection via Eutelsat’s OneWeb constellation and the infrastructure of the European Space Research and Technology Centre of the European Space Agency (ESA) in the Netherlands this November.
The global security situation is also driving increased demand for test and measurement equipment for aerospace and defense as well as for satellite testing in the New Space domain. The fact that Rohde & Schwarz is seen as a trusted technology partner in this market was demonstrated by an award from the ESA, which honored the group for its contribution to the success of European satellite navigation programs. In June 2025, Rohde & Schwarz set a special technical milestone specifically for satellite testing, but also for wireless communications applications. The group’s new FSWX signal and spectrum analyzer provides customers with unique features for their challenging measurement tasks.
Enhanced technological expertise through investments and partnerships
Through targeted investments, Rohde & Schwarz strengthened its market position over the past fiscal year with a view to the long term. In summer 2024, the group became a strategic partner of the startup fiveD, a company that creates a digital environment that generates physically accurate and scalable models of the real world. This enables radar systems to be developed, tested and optimized on computers. With ZES ZIMMER Electronic Systems GmbH, Rohde & Schwarz expanded its portfolio to include high-precision power measurement used in sectors such as electromobility and renewable energy.
With the tailwind of these positive results, the group has also set the course for future growth in the current fiscal year. In addition to the partnership with TRUMPF, the technology group acquired software specialist Munich Innovation Labs to further expand its position in the field of data analytics. An investment in Orbint GmbH, a spin-off of the University of the Bundeswehr Munich, will create new opportunities for space-based signal intelligence. Together with its new partners, Rohde & Schwarz can strengthen the technological and digital security of Germany and Europe.
Focus on digital sovereignty
Rohde & Schwarz is also benefiting from the demand for security technologies that maintain digital sovereignty in the field of networks and cybersecurity. The group’s subsidiary LANCOM Systems is ideally positioned in this area with its broad portfolio of advanced communications solutions. Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity GmbH achieved a notable success: in partnership with Dell Technologies, the company will enable mobile work with VS-NfD (RESTRICTED) data.
Thanks to its solid, future-oriented approach and targeted investments, Rohde & Schwarz will continue to be able to respond flexibly to global challenges in the 2025/2026 fiscal year, thereby ensuring sustainable growth.
