American Rheinmetall has introduced the Skyranger 30 system, which it claims could be the future of short-range air defense (SHORAD). The standout feature of this system is not the turret itself, but rather its pairing with an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). The turret, capable of firing 1,250 30 mm airburst rounds per minute and elevating 85 degrees, was showcased on top of the RIPSAW M5 UGV produced by Textron Defense Systems. This pairing presents two main variations to traditional SHORAD systems.
First, the UGV is significantly smaller and lighter than the vehicles typically used for air defense by the U.S. Army. Textron states that the combat weight of the M5 is around 10.5 tons, making it far lighter than the Stryker used for SHORAD purposes. Second, and more importantly, the M5 is unmanned. According to American Rheinmetall CEO Stephen Hedger, this key feature has not been widely considered for SHORAD applications.
The combination of the Skyranger 30 turret and the M5 UGV attempts to anticipate the Army’s increasing focus on air defense and unmanned vehicles. After divesting in air defense artillery in the early 2000s, the U.S. Army is now pursuing new mobile SHORAD systems to combat the threat of drones on the battlefield.
Hedger highlighted the Skyranger’s effectiveness in countering unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Within a range of three kilometers, the turret achieves a 90% kill rate against UAS targets. This enhanced lethality in addressing swarms of drones and maneuvering UASs is crucial in meeting modern defense requirements.
American Rheinmetall’s integration of the Skyranger turret with the M5 UGV reflects both the Army’s shift towards unmanned vehicles and the increasing need for drone defense. This combination signifies the development of a robot-killing robot system, demonstrating the evolving capabilities of air defense systems.
Other companies, such as BAE Systems and General Dynamics, showcased their SHORAD experiments at the AUSA conference as well. The future of short-range air defense appears promising, with the potential for UGV platforms like the M5 playing a significant role in protecting against airborne threats.
Sources:
– [1. avots]
– [2. avots]
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2023-10-11 17:06:58
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