Through a social media post published yesterday, the Ukrainian Air Force revealed a video in which one of its Skynex air defense systems can be seen demonstrating its capabilities to counter Russian Shahed drones. These platforms are manufactured in Germany by Rheinmetall, and the first units were delivered to Kyiv in 2024. Without providing further details regarding the place or time the aforementioned video was taken, official sources limited themselves to stating that the system has been meeting its operational expectations, which translates into a significant reinforcement for Ukraine’s strained air defense network.
According to what is reported by local Ukrainian media, the published footage could correspond to defense tasks carried out between the 11th and 12th of the current month, during which Russian forces carried out one of the most intense air attacks to date. In concrete numbers, the Ukrainian defense claimed to have shot down more than 300 drones and 25 cruise missiles, which is considered an extremely successful response; seven of those drones are said to have been shot down by the Skynex battery shown in the video.
It is worth remembering that Kyiv currently possesses two Skynex systems, which were financed by the German government, investing over 182 million euros, making Ukraine the only country to have these platforms fully operational at present. These are short-range air defense systems (SHORAD) that were introduced to the market by Rheinmetall in 2021, suggesting that they are an advanced solution specifically designed to protect critical infrastructure from a wide range of threats; Ukraine is said to have deployed them at airfields.
Expanding on its known characteristics, we can state that the Skynex system is mainly composed of a 35mm Oerlikon Mk.3 automatic cannon, which has the capacity to fire up to 1,000 rounds per minute with a range of around 4 kilometers. Specifically, the system employs AHEAD programmable ammunition, whose main advantage is the ability to detonate near the target to release a series of sub-projectiles that are especially effective in downing small, high-speed drones. Finally, it should be mentioned that although each battery usually includes a radar and command post, the turrets are equipped with their own sensors capable of detecting and tracking targets, which grants them greater autonomy to operate.
*Images used for illustrative purposes only
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