Some tasks in the context of air defense can only be effectively solved by anti-aircraft systems with combined weapons - missiles and cannons. 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 missile and cannon systems is the Swiss Oerlikon Skyranger complex. In this project, an anti-aircraft system of modular architecture is proposed, which includes several elements for different purposes with different capabilities.
The development of a project for a promising anti-aircraft missile and gun complex (ZRPK) began in the middle of the two thousandth, and was initially carried out by the Swiss company Oerlikon Contraves. After it became part of the German company Rheinmetall, the anti-aircraft division of the latter, Rheinmetall Air Defense, became the developer of the project. However, the first developer was not forgotten, and he is mentioned in the name of the finished system. Now a promising air defense missile system is being promoted on the international market under the name Oerlikon Skyranger.
The first prototype of the Skyranger Gun self-propelled gun based on the MOWAG Piranha armored personnel carrier. Photo Military-today.com
The Skyranger project initially envisaged the creation of an anti-aircraft system with a modular architecture. The complex was planned to include all the main means of detection, control and destruction, made in the form of separate components. They were proposed to be installed on various chassis with suitable characteristics. Thanks to this, a potential customer could get combat vehicles at the desired base, which should have become a good competitive advantage.
The development of the Skyranger project has been going on for over ten years. During this time, all the main components were created and prototypes were built. So, at the turn of the last decades, Rheinmetall Air Defense manufactured the first prototype of an anti-aircraft artillery mount based on one of the existing chassis and tested it. Based on the results of the first checks, the development of the project continued. By now, 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 offered a ZRPK consisting of four main elements. In full force, the Skyranger complex is capable of monitoring the airspace in the near zone and destroying targets of various types. However, the customer can purchase only individual components, which can then be integrated into the existing air defense system. However, the greatest efficiency of the Oerlikon Skyranger air defense missile system should be shown precisely in the full composition recommended by the manufacturer.
Experienced self-propelled gun on trial. Photo Military-today.com
The key element of the complex is the Oerlikon Skyranger Search Radar Control Node (SRCN) - a separate vehicle with a radar detection station and an automated command post. Its task is to monitor the air situation, search for targets and issue target designation to the fire weapons of the complex. Target detection, depending on its type, is carried out at a distance of tens of kilometers. Aircraft or helicopters are escorted from a distance of 25 km. The radar and the command post maintain communication with other vehicles of the complex using a secure radio channel. The command vehicle is capable of simultaneously serving up to six fire weapons.
The second element of the ZRPK that attracts the most attention is the Oerlikon Skyranger Gun, an anti-aircraft self-propelled gun with artillery weapons. It is proposed to use a special fighting compartment equipped with a 35-mm automatic cannon and controls. The latest versions of the Skyranger tower provide their own means of searching and tracking targets.
Together with the self-propelled artillery, the complex includes the product Oerlikon Skyranger Missile - an anti-aircraft missile launcher on a mobile chassis. There are two options for launchers designed to use different missiles. One of them is designed for specific weapons, while the other is compatible with different missiles. The customer can choose one of these units on a self-propelled chassis, or purchase both.
View to the other side. Photo Military-today.com
All means of the missile and cannon complex are made in the form of modules suitable for installation on a particular chassis. The customer is invited to independently choose the appropriate machines, taking into account the required lifting capacity and internal volumes. To date, individual components of the Skyranger air defense missile system have been tested on two types of chassis made in different countries. In both cases, the characteristics of the complex corresponded to those 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 air defense missile system, recommended by the developer organization. Oerlikon / Rheinmetall recommends putting on duty an anti-aircraft battery, including one radar with an SRCN command post, one missile launcher and two self-propelled artillery guns. The maximum possible composition of the battery includes seven vehicles: six fire and one command.
Cannon component
The former Oerlikon Contraves company 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 the promising Skyranger Gun combat vehicle, and therefore it 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 the self-propelled artillery gun that the promotion of the new project on the market began.
This summer, at one of the European exhibitions, the first public display of the Skyranger Gun was held on a new platform and with a new turret. This vehicle was built on the basis of a German-made ARTEC Boxer four-axle wheeled chassis and equipped with an Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3 turret. The Rheinmetall company did not confine itself to only one demonstration of equipment as part of a static exposition. In mid-September, demonstration firing took place at its range near Zurich, during which the Skyranger successfully intercepted and struck several unmanned aerial vehicles.
Automatic cannon Oerlikon KDG caliber 35 mm. Photo Rheinmetall Defense / rheinmetall-defence.com
An uninhabited tower with a dome made of bulletproof armor is mounted on the base chassis. On top of their own booking, hinged modules can be installed that increase the level of protection. Externally, the new Revolver Gun Mk3 turret is slightly different from previous developments due to the use of other components, due to which the expansion of capabilities is achieved. In the frontal part of the tower, a large cutout for the cannon is provided, covered with a characteristic polygonal mask-casing. One of the on-board equipment blocks is located on the gun casing. A compact target tracking radar antenna was placed on the roof at the stern.
The combat module is equipped with a 35 mm Rheinmetall / Oerlikon KDG automatic cannon. The gun is capable of using 35x228 mm rounds with different types of shells. For more effective destruction of air targets, special attention is paid to ammunition with a programmable fuse. Working with them is provided by a separate device integrated into the design of the implement. Depending on the type of projectile, a barrel with a length of 90 calibers allows obtaining an initial velocity of over 1000 m / s. The technical rate of fire reaches 1000 rounds per minute. An additional mode is provided with "single" firing at a rate of up to 200 rounds per minute. The maximum firing range reaches 4 km.
The tower is made uninhabited, and its internal volumes are given for special equipment, as well as for ammunition boxes. Boxes for 252 rounds in ribbons are placed inside the tower. Replenishment of ammunition takes minimal time and is carried out by the crew with the help of an ammunition carrier. The Revolver Gun Mk3 project provides for equipping the tower with its own target tracking radar. There is also a standard block of optoelectronic equipment that provides observation and guidance at any time of the day.
The interior of the Skyranger at the Piranha base: places of the commander and operator-gunner. Photo Military-today.com
The data from the detection equipment are transmitted to the operator-gunner's console located in the base chassis. Fire control systems provide firing in manual, semi-automatic or automatic modes. A combat vehicle can work independently or in conjunction with a 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 - driver, commander and operator. They are all located inside the case; jobs in the fighting compartment are not provided.
Missile component
The Skyranger system may include a separate combat vehicle with a guided missile launcher. The presence of such a component can dramatically increase the range and altitude of the entire complex when working on various air targets. At the same time, customers are offered two options for the Oerlikon Skyranger Missile products, suitable for using 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 and 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 FIM-92 Stinger portable complex. It is also possible to use other guided missiles with similar weight and dimensions. In the proposed form, such an installation carries an ammunition load of eight missiles.
New prototype Skyranger Gun based on the Boxer armored personnel carrier. Photo Armyrecognition.com
Several years ago, Rheinmetall began cooperation with the South African firm Denel Dynamics. This has resulted in the integration of Denel Cheetah anti-aircraft missiles into a number of projects. A launcher for such ammunition can also be part of the Oerlikon Skyranger complex. An important feature of Cheetah missiles is their reduced size. Thanks to them, the ammunition load of one vehicle can consist of dozens of missiles, which increases the potential of the air defense missile system while protecting the near zone.
Advantages and disadvantages
As you know, one of the main problems of artillery anti-aircraft systems is the limited firing range. Combined with limited accuracy and the need for a near-direct hit, this hinders the desired results. Nevertheless, the designers of Oerlikon Contraves, and subsequently Rheinmetall Air Defense, seem to have managed to sort out these problems. Their solution lies in the use of well-known modern technologies.
The Oerlikon Skyranger complex includes individual vehicles with artillery and missile launchers. The presence of two types of weapons allows you to more effectively attack specific targets, taking into account their class, flight profile, etc. The components of the new air defense missile system 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.
Promotional image of the updated combat vehicle. Photo Rheinmetall Defense / rheinmetall-defence.com
An unconditional plus is the compatibility of the complex's tools with different platforms. The possibility of installing devices and assemblies on two modern chassis has already been demonstrated. In the future, new samples may appear that clearly demonstrate the benefits of such a modular architecture. It should be noted that modularity is a plus not only in the context of using different chassis. Thanks to the modular architecture of the complex itself, the customer can form an anti-aircraft battery that best meets his requirements.
However, upon closer examination of the Oerlikon Skyranger air defense missile system, weaknesses can also be found. First of all, this is the distribution of fixed assets of the anti-aircraft complex between different chassis. Missiles, guns and radar are placed on different vehicles, which imposes certain restrictions and can interfere with the solution of combat missions. Rocket and cannon systems of leading foreign developers, such as the Russian Pantsir-C1, more often provide for the installation of all means on a common chassis.
Also, certain suspicions are caused by the current status of the project. It has been in development for over ten years and remains promising, but its 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 polygons and exhibition grounds.
Today and tomorrow
According to official information from Rheinmetall Air Defense, a promising project of the Oerlikon Skyranger anti-aircraft missile and cannon complex is still at the development stage. At the same time, the developer company regularly shows its new achievements both within the framework of the Skyranger project and in the field of anti-aircraft systems in general. For example, this year the first demonstration of the updated self-propelled artillery unit 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 sample were held in the summer, and in September the Rheinmetall company organized a demonstration firing. During this event, its latest anti-aircraft systems demonstrated their capabilities in the fight against small targets - unmanned aerial vehicles of the aircraft and helicopter type.
As the promotional video, prepared based on the results of demonstration tests, shows, 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 range to it, after which projectiles with a programmable fuse hit it with fragments. The successful destruction of the UAV required only one round of short or medium length.
In recent years, the development company regularly mentions that its anti-aircraft complex project has already managed to interest some foreign customers and may soon become the topic of a new export contract. However, the specific countries that will become the first buyers of Skyranger have not yet been named. It is extremely difficult to predict the starting customers of new equipment. Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns of the latest models are very popular and retain their place in the market. This makes forecasting difficult.
Demonstration firing of the Oerlikon Skyranger complex, September 2018
However, in the context of the Oerlikon Skyranger project, there is reason for pessimism. The development of a new model of military equipment started more than ten years ago, and over the past time, the developer company managed to present not only the basic project, but also several options for its further development. Despite this, the promising ZRPK has not yet gone into production and is not supplied to real customers. The mentioned interest from some foreign countries has not yet been formalized in the form of a contract and has not led to the start of supplies.
And yet, the developer company continues to improve its project and develop new versions of a promising anti-aircraft missile-gun complex. It is worth recognizing that the Oerlikon Skyranger project is based on 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 both on the project itself and on its promotion on the market.
