The war in Ukraine is now almost two years old, and it’s not going the way Russia intended. On the ground, a brutal stalemate means any advance is quickly spotted and eliminated.
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But agreements with Iran and North Korea are bolstering Russia’s air attacks. Over the last few weeks, the Russians resumed their winter warfare practice of targeting civilian infrastructure hundreds of miles away from the front lines. Ukraine is using some of the world’s best air defense systems, but it’s not enough to down every threat Russia launches.
Germany’s most recent military aid package to Ukraine aims to help in this regard. Germany already committed to sending Gepard anti-aircraft guns, Patriot missile and IRIS-T air defense systems. Now, the Germans are making good on a multi-million dollar contract to deliver two SKYNEX air defense systems.
SKYNEX is made by Rheinmetall. It represents the cutting edge of short-range air defense, or SHORAD systems.
Each SKYNEX system can control up to four Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk 3s. The modular revolver gun is unmanned and uses a series of optics and sensors to identify targets of various size, shape, and speed. Once it’s locked on, the Mk 3 can fire up to 1000 rounds a minute at individual targets or swarms. The 35mm cannon makes use of several types of ammunition including “AHEAD” ammo
AHEAD stands for Advanced Hit Efficiency and Destruction.
As the round is fired from the gun, it’s programmed to detonate at a position in space based on its target’s speed and trajectory. When it detonates, the AHEAD round launches a cloud of steel projectiles.
Using its kinetic energy, this cone of carnage can kill drones, missiles, rockets, glide bombs, aircraft, even artillery shells. Think of SKYNEX as a 21st century flak cannon. Like so many other newly developed systems, every component of SKYNEX is also containerized, meaning it can be packed up quickly and re-deployed as necessary.
Ukraine contracted Rheinmetall to build and deliver two SKYNEX systems. The contract was announced in December of 2022 and worth around $200 million. Both systems are scheduled to be delivered in the early part of this year and will join a third rumored SKYNEX system already in use in Ukraine.
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
THE WAR IN UKRAINE IS NOW ALMOST TWO YEARS OLD. IT’S NOT GOING THE WAY RUSSIA INTENDED. ON THE GROUND, A BRUTAL STALEMATE MEANS MOST ANY ADVANCE IS QUICKLY SPOTTED AND ELIMINATED.
BUT AGREEMENTS WITH IRAN AND NORTH KOREA ARE BOLSTERING RUSSIA’S AIR ATTACKS. OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, THE RUSSIANS RESUMED THEIR WINTER WARFARE PRACTICE OF TARGETING CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY FROM THE FRONTLINES. UKRAINE IS USING SOME OF THE WORLD’S BEST AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS–BUT IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO DOWN EVERY THREAT RUSSIA LAUNCHES.
GERMANY’S MOST RECENT MILITARY AID PACKAGE TO UKRAINE AIMS TO HELP IN THIS REGARD. GERMANY ALREADY COMMITTED TO SENDING GEPARD ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS, PATRIOT MISSILE AND IRIS AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS. NOW, THE GERMANS ARE MAKING GOOD ON A MULTI- MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT TO DELIVER TWO SKYNEX AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS.
SKYNEX IS MADE BY RHEINMETALL, AND IT REPRESENTS THE CUTTING EDGE OF SHORT-RANGE AIR DEFENSE, OR SHORAD SYSTEMS.
EACH SKYNEX SYSTEM CAN CONTROL UP TO FOUR OERLIKON REVOLVER GUN Mk 3s. THE MODULAR REVOLVER GUN IS UNMANNED AND USES A SERIES OF OPTICS AND SENSORS TO IDENTIFY TARGETS OF VARIOUS SIZE, SHAPE, AND SPEED. ONCE IT’S LOCKED ON, THE Mk 3 CAN FIRE UP TO 1000 ROUNDS A MINUTE AT INDIVIDUAL TARGETS OR SWARMS. THE 35MM CANNON MAKES USE OF SEVERAL TYPES OF AMMUNITION INCLUDING ‘AHEAD’ AMMO
‘AHEAD’ STANDS FOR ADVANCED HIT EFFICIENCY AND DESTRUCTION. HERE’S WHAT THAT MEANS.
AS THE ROUND IS FIRED FROM THE GUN, IT’S PROGRAMMED TO DETONATE AT A POSITION IN SPACE BASED ON ITS TARGET’S SPEED AND TRAJECTORY. WHEN IT DETONATES, THE AHEAD ROUND LAUNCHES A CLOUD OF STEEL PROJECTILES. USING ITS KINETIC ENERGY, THIS CONE OF CARNAGE CAN KILL DRONES, MISSILES, ROCKETS, GLIDE BOMBS, EVEN ARTILLERY SHELLS. THINK OF SKYNEX AS A 21ST CENTURY FLAK CANNON. AND LIKE SO MANY OTHER NEWLY DEVELOPED SYSTEMS, EVERY COMPONENT OF SKYNEX IS ALSO CONTAINERIZED, MEANING IT CAN BE PACKED UP QUICKLY AND RE-DEPLOYED AS NECESSARY.
UKRAINE CONTRACTED RHEINMETALL TO BUILD AND DELIVER TWO SKYNEX SYSTEMS. BOTH ARE SCHEDULED TO BE DELIVERED IN THE EARLY PART OF THIS YEAR AND WILL JOIN A THIRD RUMORED SKYNEX SYSTEM ALREADY IN USE IN UKRAINE.
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