Skynex unveiled: Germany's cutting-edge anti-drone system in action
The first footage of a deployed turret from one of the two Skynex system batteries has surfaced online. This is the latest anti-drone solution, and it's not just found in Ukraine. Here is what it can do.
Ukraine has received two Skynex point defence system batteries from Germany. These batteries offer protection against drones, cruise missiles, artillery shells, and gliding bombs.
This solution is an evolution of the concept behind the much-praised Gepard system used in Ukraine. In the footage below, you can see what the deployed turret looks like, covered with multi-range camouflage.
Skynex system — the drone and FAB destroyer
The Skynex system is the export version of the MANTIS sets used in Germany. It is based on the Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3 automatic cannon, which has a calibre of 35mm and a rate of fire of 1,000 rounds per minute, using sub-calibre anti-tank ammunition or programmable AHEAD rounds.
The system has an effective range of 3 miles and can target a wide range of objects. These targets vary from lightly armoured drones, cruise missiles, and aircraft to heavily armoured artillery shells and aerial bombs.
The gun is guided to its target using radar or an electro-optical head with a thermal sight and laser rangefinder. The target is eliminated with a multi-round burst, costing tens of thousands of euros.
Anti-tank ammunition rounds consist of small tungsten darts capable of piercing over 4 inches of armoured steel. Programmable ammunition rounds are filled with tungsten pellets surrounding an explosive material, detonated by a fuse timed to go off as the round exits the barrel. As a result, a literal "wall" of destructive fragments is created just a few metres before reaching the target, shredding the drone or, for example, the missile body.
The complete system turret weighs 5 tonnes, including a stock of 252 rounds of ammunition. When firing multi-round bursts, this stock is sufficient for many targets. While this is a very effective solution, its small defence area means many such sets are needed (ideally, even hundreds rather than tens). Ideally, such a system would also be mobile and mounted on a tracked chassis, which the Germans have considered in recent months.
