Ukraine just got a new Western air-defense system meant to wipe out Russian drones by firing 1,000 rounds per minute

Thibault Spirlet
Updated ·2 min read
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  • Ukraine on Thursday received a new Western air-defense system, German authorities said.

  • The German-made system, Skynex, can fire up to 1,000 bullets a minute, its developer says.

  • It could prove vital to countering short-range Russian aerial attacks.

Ukraine has just received a new Western air-defense system designed to wipe out Russian drones by firing 1,000 bullets a minute.

The German federal government announced the delivery of the German-made air-defense system, Oerlikon Skynex, on Thursday as part of its latest aid package to Ukraine.

The system is designed to defend against aircraft, cruise missiles, and certain types of drones, among other things.

Some of the significant components of the system are a "sensor package, a shooter package, and a command-and-control package," a video posted on YouTube by its developer, the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, says.

It also has an X-TAR3D target-acquisition radar, capable of identifying aerial threats within a 31-mile range, the video says. It can classify and identify air targets and provides "3D target-tracking data," it adds.

Depending on the attack, up to four Mk3 revolver guns can be activated, according to Rheinmetall.

The Mk3 revolver gun can fire up to 1,000 rounds of ammunition a minute at aerial threats, the German manufacturer added.

The guns are equipped with tracking radars, TV and infrared cameras, and laser range finders, hitting targets up to about 2.5 miles away.

Revolver gun Mk3s, part of the Skynex system.
Mk3 revolver guns, part of the Skynex system.Qatari Ministry of Defense

The system comes with Ahead technology, a type of airburst 35 mm ammunition.

"Each Ahead round contains 152 tungsten sub-projectiles which are ejected immediately in front of the oncoming target," the manufacturer says on its website.

"It can be fitted to any suitable automatic cannon and then successfully engage small, fast aerial targets with a high kill probability," it adds.

The Skynex system is also likely cheaper than some other air-defense systems.

In a press release in December 2022, Rheinmetall said it was supplying two Skynex air-defense systems worth about 182 million euros, or nearly $200 million, to an international partner.

By comparison, Patriot defense systems cost $1.1 billion each.

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