Anti-aircraft missile and gun complex Oerlikon Skyranger (Switzerland-Germany)

Some tasks in the context of air defense can only be effectively solved by anti-aircraft systems with combined weapons - missiles and guns. Complexes of this kind are of interest to different customers, and therefore are being developed in several countries. One of the newest developments in the field of rocket-cannon systems is the Swiss complex Oerlikon Skyranger. This project proposes an anti-aircraft system of modular architecture, which includes several elements for different purposes with different capabilities.

The development of the project of a promising anti-aircraft missile-cannon complex (ZRPK) began in the middle of the two thousandth, and initially she was engaged in the Swiss company Oerlikon Contraves. After its entry into the German company Rheinmetall, the project developer was the latest air defense unit - Rheinmetall Air Defense. However, the first one was not forgotten, and it is mentioned in the name of the finished system. Now promising ZRPK is progressing on the international market under the name Oerlikon Skyranger.

The first prototype of the Skyranger Gun self-propelled gun based on the MOWAG Piranha BTR. Photo Military-today.com

The project "Skyranger" initially envisaged the creation of an anti-aircraft system with a modular architecture. The complex was planned to include all the basic means of detection, control and destruction, made in the form of individual components. They were offered to be installed on different chassis with suitable characteristics. Due to this, a potential customer could get combat vehicles on the desired base, which should have been a good competitive advantage.

The development of the Skyranger project has been going on for more than ten years. During this time, all major components were created and prototypes built. Thus, at the turn of the last decades, Rheinmetall Air Defense manufactured the first prototype anti-aircraft artillery unit based on one of the existing chassis and conducted its tests. According to the results of the first inspections, the development of the project continued. To date, several versions of some components of the complex have been consistently developed. In particular, this year they demonstrated an artillery self-propelled gun with a new combat module Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk 3.

Anti-aircraft complex

At the moment, potential customers are invited ZRPK consisting of four main elements. At full strength, the Skyranger complex is able to monitor the airspace in the near zone and destroy various types of targets. However, the customer can purchase only individual components, which can then be embedded in an existing air defense system. However, Oerlikon Skyranger should show the greatest efficiency of ZRPK in the full composition recommended by the manufacturer.

Experienced self-propelled test. Photo Military-today.com

The key element of the complex is the Oerlikon Skyranger Search Radar Control Node (SRCN) - a separate vehicle with a detection radar and an automated command post. Its task is to monitor the air situation, search for targets and target designation to the firing means of the complex. Target detection, depending on its type, is carried out at a distance of tens of kilometers. Accompanying airplanes or helicopters is conducted from a distance of 25 km. The radar station and the command post communicate with other vehicles of the complex using a secure radio channel. The command vehicle is capable of simultaneously servicing up to six fire weapons.

The second element ZRPK, attracting the most attention, is the Oerlikon Skyranger Gun - anti-aircraft self-propelled gun with artillery weapons. It is proposed to use a special combat compartment equipped with an 35-mm automatic cannon and controls. In the latest versions of the tower Skyranger provides its own means of searching and tracking targets.

Together with the self-propelled artillery gun, the complex includes the product Oerlikon Skyranger Missile - a launcher of anti-aircraft missiles on a mobile chassis. There are two variants of launchers designed to use different missiles. One of them is designed for specific weaponwhile the other is compatible with different rockets. The customer can choose one of these self-propelled chassis installations or purchase both.

View of the other side. Photo Military-today.com

All means of the rocket-cannon complex are made in the form of modules suitable for installation on a particular chassis. The customer is invited to independently select the appropriate machines, taking into account the necessary capacity and internal volumes. To date, the individual components of the Skyranger ZRPK have been tested on the chassis of two types of production in different countries. In both cases, the characteristics of the complex are as stated.

The modular architecture of the anti-aircraft complex allows the customer to independently determine its composition. At the same time, there is an optimal configuration of the ZRPK recommended by the developer organization. Oerlikon / Rheinmetall experts recommend putting an anti-aircraft battery on duty, including one radar with the SRCN command point, one missile launcher and two self-propelled artillery. The maximum possible battery consists of seven cars: six fire and one command.

Gun component

The former company Oerlikon Contraves was known for its development in the field of anti-aircraft artillery. She used her rich experience and the latest ideas in the development of a promising Skyranger Gun combat vehicle, and therefore she turns out to be one of the most interesting components of the entire complex. In addition, it was with the construction, testing and demonstration of self-propelled guns that the new project was launched on the market.

In the summer of this year, one of the European exhibitions hosted the first public display of Skyranger Gun on a new platform and with a new tower. This machine was built on the basis of a four-wheel wheeled chassis ARTEC Boxer German production and equipped with a gun turret Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3. The company "Rheinmetall" was not limited to only one display of equipment in the static exposition. In mid-September, demonstration shooting took place at its range near Zurich, during which the Skyranger successfully intercepted and hit several unmanned aerial vehicles.

Automatic gun Oerlikon KDG caliber 35 mm. Photo Rheinmetall Defense / rheinmetall-defence.com

On the base chassis is mounted uninhabited tower with a dome of anti-bullet armor. On top of your own booking can be mounted mounted modules that increase the level of protection. Externally, the new Revolver Gun Mk3 tower is slightly different from previous developments due to the use of other components, due to which expansion is achieved. In the frontal part of the tower provides a large cutout for the gun, covered with a characteristic polygonal mask-casing. On the casing of the gun is one of the units of onboard equipment. On the roof of the stern placed a compact radar target tracking radar.

The combat module is equipped with a 35-mm Rheinmetall / Oerlikon KDG automatic cannon. The gun is capable of using 35x228 mm shots with shells of various types. In order to more effectively defeat air targets, special attention is paid to ammunition with a programmable fuse. Work with them is provided by a separate device integrated into the design of the instrument. Depending on the type of projectile, the barrel length 90 calibers allows you to get an initial speed in excess of 1000 m / s. Technical rate of fire reaches 1000 shots per minute. There is an additional mode with shooting "single" with the rate of up to 200 shots per minute. The maximum firing range reaches 4 km.

The tower is made uninhabitable, and its internal volumes are given for special equipment, as well as for boxes of ammunition. Inside the tower are placed boxes on 252 shells in ribbons. Replacing the ammunition takes minimal time and is carried out by the crew using the carrier of ammunition. The Revolver Gun Mk3 project provides for equipping the tower with its own target tracking radar. There is also a regular block of optoelectronic equipment, providing observation and guidance at any time of the day.

The interior of the Skyranger based on the Piranha: the place of the commander and the operator-gunner. Photo Military-today.com

Data from the means of detection is transmitted to the operator-gunner station located in the base chassis. Fire control systems provide shooting in manual, semi-automatic or automatic modes. Fighting machine can work independently or in conjunction with the command post. The role of the latter can be played by the Skyranger SRCN machine or any other compatible sample of a similar purpose.

The crew of the Oerlikon Skyranger Gun, regardless of the type of base platform, consists of three people - the driver, the commander and the operator. They are all inside the case; jobs in the fighting compartment are not provided.

Missile component

The system "Skyranger" may include a separate combat vehicle with a launcher for guided missiles. The presence of such a component can dramatically increase the range and altitude of the entire complex when working on different air targets. In this case, customers are offered two versions of products Oerlikon Skyranger Missile, suitable for the use of different weapons.

First of all, a launcher is proposed in the form of a rotary tower with a pair of side blocks for mounting transport-launch containers with missiles. Such a combat module is compatible with different chassis and can use different types of missiles. In particular, it provides for the integration of guided missiles from the portable complex FIM-92 Stinger. It is also possible to use other guided missiles with similar weight and size parameters. In the proposed form, such an installation carries ammunition of eight missiles.

New prototype Skyranger Gun based on BTR Boxer. Photo Armyrecognition.com

Several years ago, Rheinmetall began a partnership with the South African company Denel Dynamics. The result was the integration of Denel Cheetah anti-aircraft missiles into a number of projects. The launcher for such ammunition may also be part of the Oerlikon Skyranger complex. An important feature of Cheetah missiles are their reduced dimensions. Thanks to them, the ammunition of one vehicle can consist of dozens of missiles, which increases the potential of the ZRPK while protecting the near zone.

Advantages and disadvantages

As you know, one of the main problems of anti-aircraft artillery systems is limited range. Combined with limited accuracy and the need for a nearly direct hit, this prevents the desired results from being obtained. Nevertheless, the designers Oerlikon Contraves, and later Rheinmetall Air Defense, it seems, managed to deal with these problems. Their solution lies in the application of well-known modern technologies.

The Oerlikon Skyranger complex includes separate vehicles with artillery shells and missile launchers. The presence of two types of weapons allows you to more effectively attack specific targets based on their class, flight profile, etc. The components of the new ZRPK in its latest version are equipped with their own surveillance and detection systems, which allows them to work effectively independently or together, including under the control of a common command post.

Advertising image of the updated combat vehicle. Photo Rheinmetall Defense / rheinmetall-defence.com

The undoubted advantage is the compatibility of the complex tools with different platforms. Already demonstrated the ability to install devices and units on two modern chassis. In the future, new models may appear, clearly demonstrating the advantages of such a modular architecture. It should be noted that modularity is a plus not only in the context of the use of different chassis. Due to the modular architecture of the complex itself, the customer can form an anti-aircraft battery that best meets its requirements.

However, upon careful consideration of the Oerlikon Skyranger ZRPK, weak points can be found. First of all, this is the distribution of fixed assets of an anti-aircraft complex between different chassis. Missiles, guns and radar are placed on different machines, which imposes known restrictions and may interfere with the solution of combat missions. Rocket-cannon complexes of leading foreign developers, such as the Russian Pantsir-С1, often involve the installation of all means on a common chassis.

Also, some suspicions are caused by the current status of the project. For more than ten years he has been in development and remains promising, but his real future is still in question. For one reason or another - perhaps even of a technical nature - the Skyranger has not yet gone beyond the landfills and exhibition grounds.

Today and tomorrow

According to the official information of the company Rheinmetall Air Defense, a promising project of the Oerlikon Skyranger anti-aircraft missile and cannon complex is still at the developmental stage. At the same time, the company-developer regularly shows its new achievements both in the framework of the Skyranger project and in the area of ​​anti-aircraft systems in general. For example, this year the first demonstration of the updated self-propelled artillery installation with the Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3 combat module took place.

New prototype on the go. Photo Rheinmetall Defense / rheinmetall-defence.com

The first exhibitions with the participation of this model took place in the summer, and in September the Rheinmetall company organized demonstration firing. During the event, its newest anti-aircraft systems showed their capabilities in the fight against small-sized targets - unmanned aircraft of aircraft and helicopter type.

As shown by the commercial prepared on the results of test demonstrations, the Skyranger Gun system is really capable of detecting and hitting even such complex targets. Electronics effectively determines the location of the target and the distance to it, after which shells with a programmable fuse hit her with fragments. The successful destruction of the UAV required only one line of small or medium length.

In recent years, the company-developer regularly mentions that its project of an anti-aircraft complex has already managed to interest some foreign customers and may soon become the subject of a new export contract. However, the specific countries that are to become the first buyers of the SkyRanger have not yet been named. To predict the starting customers of the new technology is extremely difficult. Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns of the latest models are very popular and retain their place in the market. This makes forecasting difficult.

Demonstration shooting of the Oerlikon Skyranger complex, September 2018

However, in the context of the project Oerlikon Skyranger there is reason for pessimism. The development of a new model of military equipment started more than ten years ago, and since then, the company-developer has managed to present not only the basic project, but also several options for its further development. Despite this, the promising ZRPK has not yet entered the series and is not delivered to real customers. The mentioned interest on the part of some foreign countries has not yet been drawn up in the form of a contract and has not led to the beginning of deliveries.

And yet the company continues to improve its project and develop new versions of the promising anti-aircraft missile and cannon complex. We have to admit that at the core of the Oerlikon Skyranger project are interesting and promising ideas that can really attract the attention of the customer and ensure high combat effectiveness. However, so far they have not led to the desired results, and Rheinmetall Air Defense will have to continue working on both the project itself and its promotion in the market.

On the materials of the sites:
https://rheinmetall-defence.com/
http://janes.com/
https://armyrecognition.com/
http://military-today.com/
http://army-guide.com/
https://army-technology.com/

Comments

[tlauicol]

30mm shells felled four-engine aircraft, destroyed single-engine fighters, and here 35mm like duck shot on a drone. A rocket, an airplane will be difficult to stop if the fuse is not reprogrammed to contact blasting

[Nikolaevich I]

Several versions of the 35 mm AHEAD ammunition with varying numbers of damaging elements have been developed. The first option, under the PMD062 index, has a length of 387 mm with a sleeve, weight 1,77 kg. Projectile weight - 0,75 kg. Muzzle velocity - 1050 m / s. The projectile contains 152 ready-made striking elements of cylindrical form with a mass of 3,3 g, diameter 5,85 mm, made of tungsten carbide (Fig. 2). The striking elements are laid out in 8 rows of 19 in each row. The total mass of ready-to-use striking elements 500 g. In the bottom part there is a receiving coil 1, a programmable electronic fuse 2, expelling charge 3, containing 0,9 g BB.

When approaching the target at a set point in time, a kick charge is triggered and throws out damaging elements. In this case, the outer shell of the projectile is divided into 6 fragments (Fig. 3). Due to the rotation of the projectile, the striking elements scatter in a cone with a solution angle of 10 ° ... 15 °. As the striking elements move away from the point of detonation of the projectile, the fragmentation field density, the velocity of the fragments, and their penetrating ability change.
Studies have shown that for hitting air targets, such as anti-ship missiles, planes and helicopters, the 3,3 masses are the most optimal. According to the developer, about 25 AHEAD shells are required to destroy an anti-ship missile, which will create a fragmentation field of 3800 damaging elements.

For surface and ground unarmoured and lightly armored targets, such as small boats with unprotected crews, cars, infantry fighting vehicles and infantry, the mass of 1,24 g striking elements with a diameter of 4,65 mm is more optimal. Therefore, another version of the 35-mm PMD330 projectile was developed, containing 407 striking elements weighing 1,24 g, stacked in 11 rows of 37 elements in each row. The nature of the 407 expansion of the striking elements and fragments of the shell of the shell at a small distance from the point of detonation is shown in Fig. 4. In this case, the kinetic energy of the damaging element with a mass of 1,24 g is enough to break through an aluminum sheet with a thickness of 15 mm.

The third type of 35-mm PMD375 ammunition was designed to increase the likelihood of hitting small reconnaissance UAVs, as well as missiles and mortar mines. The projectile contains 860 cylindrical striking elements with 0,64 mass. It is also assumed that if the striking element does not penetrate the mortar shell, then the high density of the fragmentation field created by several munitions will ensure that one or more striking elements enter the fuse and will destroy the fuse.

[5-9]

The barn looks like Iron Caput ... did it pass the elk test?
By 2020, they came up with Shilka (with 35mm and a programmable detonation, but scanty ammunition and low rate of fire, since the gun should be fired at by UAVs and UAAS, it’s still not known which is better) and Strela-10 (only with Strela-1 class rockets: ))) associate with the radar and ACS. Well, it’s good that missiles are not AIM-120 at 0,7 bucks a piece each (a well-known western game is to make MD air defense missile systems from air defense missile systems and save on normal radar).

[The leader of the Redskins]

Thank. Informatively. In my opinion it is too complicated.

[Grognag]

I think that the air defense system in this form is not viable and too expensive, because the detection range given in article 25 km is small for modern combat conditions, the single-barreled cannon mount has too low a rate of fire, and nothing is said about the missiles really

[dgonni]

25 km is the range from which confident tracking of the target begins! The test weapon. If you watch the video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88PWySnaLmI) then you can see that the shells explode near a small UAV and still crumble it with fragments. When firing at the same helicopters and missiles, they also will not seem enough. But as for me, it’s very technologically advanced and probably over expensive. Although, in principle, this is the future of regiment level air defense.
P.S. Unfortunately, before development, guns of this level were not even suitable. Although in the TV magazine 10 years ago one smart developer wrote that there is nothing to rest on the laurels of 30mm guns, but you need to switch to 40-57 mm that allow you to shove a radio fuse and increase the effectiveness of barrel artillery. But things are still there

[Graz]

we are trying to do something similar, Derivation is called

[Nikolaevich I]

Quote: dgonni

there is nothing to rest on the laurels of 30mm guns, but you need to switch to 40-57 mm which allow you to shove a radio fuse and increase the effectiveness of barrel artillery.

In fact, the "writer" focused on calibers 40-45 mm ...

[Grognag]

Barrel artillery last century

[Grognag]

What is confident target tracking? With a modern target flight speed of 25 km, there’s nothing. In general, they won’t be able to fire a rocket, a helicopter is possible, but developing a missile system of this kind to combat helicopters is the height of waste

[garri-lin]

Unclear. Will there be 8 stingers on an 8 wheeled chassis?

[Grognag]

There will be a body with 8 people in it with manual stingers

[garri-lin]

Tobish eight independent guidance channels plus AI and the possibility of distributed work? Coolooo !!! Steeper than shelling !!!!

[Grognag]

Well, here everything can rest on the quality of AI

[Usher]

Where's the shooting on the go? Where is the rocket platform? Why just one trunk?

[riwas]

Revolving gun.

[Fan-fan]

One trunk, and small drones easily fell. This system will be cooler than our Shell. Sure and cruise missiles will bring down with a bang.

[riwas]

We do not have such ammunition for 30 mm guns, maybe for 57 mm they can.
The United States in Afghanistan widely used the ground-based version of the Vulcan-Falax to protect bases from mines and shells. The Oerlikon Skyranger will be much more efficient. In addition, it will be able to effectively (in contrast to the Pantsir-S 30-mm cannon) intercept air-to-surface shells. And again, drones.

[aristok]

Judging by the article, there are 3 types of machines in the complex - command, cannon, and rocket.
And the photos are presented only by cannon.
I would like to see photos of other cars in the article.