DSEI 2023: Rheinmetall displays Oerlikon Skyranger 35 mobile ground-based air defense system.

At DSEI 2023, Rheinmetall introduced its Oerlikon Skyranger 35 mobile ground-based air defense system (GBAD). This GBAD system is equipped with a 35mm Oerlikon Revolver Gun and Ahead Air Burst ammunition, offering capabilities for engaging both air and ground targets. It can be integrated into various wheeled and tracked mobile platforms, including the Boxer and Lynx KF41 armored vehicles.
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The Rheinmetall's Oerlikon Skyranger 35 can be mounted on various platforms, such as the Boxer (Picture source: Rheinmetall)

The Skyranger family also includes the Skyranger 30, designed as a hybrid solution to address a variety of anticipated airborne threats. This system combines a 30mm automatic cannon, guided missiles, and a high-energy laser variant known as the Skyranger 30 HEL, expected in the near future. It serves as a mobile defense against both current and future airborne threats encountered on the battlefield, including those employing evasion tactics like loitering, pop-up, or dive attacks. It can be deployed alongside ground forces or used to protect stationary assets. Additionally, its command and control architecture, IFF capabilities, and data link integration align with contemporary battlefield command structures.

The Oerlikon Skyranger 35 is a mobile 35mm air defense system featuring integrated radar tracking and an electro-optical sensor unit. Its technical features include a 35mm x 228 Oerlikon Revolver Cannon, an effective combat range of up to 4,000 meters, a nominal rate of fire of 1,000 rounds per minute, and rapid single-shot capabilities at 200 rounds per minute. The Skyranger 35 utilizes Ahead Air Burst ammunition and can carry 252 rounds of ready-to-fire ammunition.

The Skyranger 35 provides continuous 360-degree air and ground surveillance through search and tracking sensors, allowing for real-time threat assessment and response. It can receive and process target data from external search radars or higher-order control systems. Its tracking radar is available in either X-band or Ku-band, offering an instrumented range of 30 km with an update rate of 50 Hz. The electro-optical sensor package includes a TV camera, an MWIR camera with 640 x 512 pixels, and a laser rangefinder.

Additionally, the Skyranger 35 features an integrated navigation system and is adaptable for various multi-purpose missions. It offers a straightforward handling and maintenance process and provides the option for an integrated AESA search radar.

The Oerlikon Ahead Air Burst Ammunition used in the Skyranger 35 can engage various aerial threats, including standoff missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, mortar rounds, artillery rockets, loitering ammunition, battlefield unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), anti-radiation missiles, and hypersonic missiles. This ammunition comes in two calibers, 35mm x 228 and 30mm x 173, extending the effective range and improving hit probability for air defense systems. Each round has a programmable time fuze that ejects its sub-projectile payload just ahead of the target, ensuring precise placement of sub-projectiles for maximum hit probability.

The sub-projectiles, made of tungsten, offer penetration performance against steel, aluminum, or composite structures. They are spin-stabilized and form a defined cone, enabling repeatable and verifiable sub-projectile saturation levels at various standoff distances. The ammunition system allows for fine-tuning hit and kill probabilities based on target type and size by selecting the payload or adjusting the ejection distance.

The Oerlikon Ahead Air Burst Ammunition includes safety features such as low explosive content and no chemical battery requirements, making it manageable and maintainable. It also offers flexibility in sub-projectile distribution and features advanced ECCM (Electronic Counter-Countermeasures) functionality. The ammunition has been adopted by various armed forces and deployed both on land and at sea.

The Rheinmetall's Skyranger family also includes the Skyranger 30. (Picture source: Rheinmetall)

At DSEI 2023, Rheinmetall displayed the Skyranger 35 mounted on a Boxer armored combat vehicle. The Boxer vehicle family is known for its modular design, which enhances versatility compared to standard infantry vehicles. It features a uniform drive module that enables quick reconfiguration with different mission modules to perform various roles on the battlefield. Some mission variants currently in development include troop carriers, field ambulances, combat engineering vehicles, command vehicles for C4I and C2 operations, logistics vehicles, and battlefield maintenance vehicles.

One of the advantages of the Boxer is its highly protected 8x8 armored platform, designed to withstand threats like mines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and ballistic assaults. This provides efficient transportation of soldiers in challenging environments, allowing for long-distance cross-country travel even under potential enemy fire. The Boxer weighs approximately 38.5 tonnes and is capable of transporting troops for various missions, from peacekeeping to full-scale warfare.

The Boxer incorporates advanced technological features, including a digitized armored structure capable of withstanding the effects of a nuclear explosion, as well as a Nuclear Biological and Chemical (NBC) protection system for threat detection and countermeasures. It also includes a 360-degree Situational Awareness System.

To meet future requirements, the Boxer is designed to be compatible with digital communication networks. It currently supports the Bowman system and has the potential to integrate with future networks, enabling secure communication among combat vehicles within the Brigade Combat Team. The Boxer variants are primarily used by several NATO nations, including Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and the UK, as well as Australia, which is a close NATO partner.