Cannon-based air defense: Rheinmetall's Skynex System

Rheinmetall delivers two Skynex air defense systems to an international customer. The systems enhance protection against threats from the air. The contract is worth approximately 182 million EUR. Deliveries will take place in early 2024. Additionally, a letter of intent for the procurement of HX trucks from Rheinmetall worth around 12 million EUR was also signed. These vehicles will be delivered together with the Skynex systems.

Skynex relies on cannon-based air defense and is therefore particularly suitable for short-range defense where missiles are not effective. The use of programmable 35mm ammunition of the Ahead type, developed by Rheinmetall for this purpose, is significantly cheaper than comparable missile-based systems. Furthermore, it is not possible to influence or divert the 35mm ammunition after firing through electronic countermeasures. The success of the 35mm Gepard anti-aircraft tank in Ukraine highlights the efficiency with which cannon-based air defense can defend against airborne targets - especially cruise missiles and drones.

The modern air defense system Skynex is based on the concept of separating airspace surveillance from effectors. This modularity allows the necessary resources to be connected to the command network depending on the mission. The system allows the integration of radar systems from different manufacturers. On the effector side, Skynex also offers great flexibility, allowing a variety of modern air defense assets to be integrated into the system. The only requirement is the presence of a dedicated tracking unit. In addition to individual sensors and effectors, existing air defense systems like the Skyshield and Skyguard families can also be integrated as firing units into the new architecture. The detected air situation is displayed on a map with the sensors and effectors positioned in the field in a separate command and weapon deployment center, simplifying target assignment to the air defense assets connected to the system.

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