The massive use of drones in conflicts Nagorno-Karabakh and, above all, in Ukraine, is changing the ways of waging war. Unmanned systems have already become one of the main threats to the deployment of armor on battlefields, which has opened a significant defense gap. To address these “capability gaps in short-range mobile defense against drones,” companies Rheinmetall Electronics and MBDA Germany have signed a letter of intent (LOI) seeking a solution.
Specifically, the intention of both companies is to integrate the small anti-drone missile (SADM ) from MBDA in the mobile air defense system Skyranger 30 and on other Rheinmetall military vehicles. This last company assures in the information it has provided about this alliance that the “new guided missile offers an effective solution against small and medium-sized drones.” And it specifies that it provides “a high probability of impact at long distances.”
He Skyranger 30 It includes, in addition to the missile launcher, a 30 mm cannon with which it also obtains “a highly efficient mobile defense against aerial threats by combining firepower, intelligent sensor technology and high mobility at shorter distances.” In this way, the source points out, “the two weapons complement each other perfectly.”
The letter of intent that MBDA and Rheinmetall have now signed aims at long-term cooperation for the integration of the missile into the Skyranger 30 and other military vehicles, as well as the development, production and integration of a launcher into various turret systems and Rheinmetall’s digital system architecture.
“Key challenge for the armed forces”
As it explains Thomas Gottschild, CEO of MBDA Germany, “the current conflicts have clearly demonstrated that drone defense is one of the key challenges for the armed forces.” Hence, he continues, they have decided to join forces with Rheinmetall “and their turret solutions to close the capability gaps in drone defense with the help of our small anti-drone missile.”
On behalf of Rheinmetall, Tim Haasdigital director of the company, explains that, “as the main contractor of the system Skyranger 30 In Germany, the small anti-drone missile is an ideal and logical addition to the company’s systems and vehicle capabilities. Now, he reveals, “we are working in advance and we are already creating the conditions for the industrial installation that will allow the client’s decisions to be quickly implemented.”
