Ukraine has received another Skynex system: what is known about it
Another Skynex air defense system was transferred to Ukraine from Germany along with other weapons as part of a new aid package announced on January 4.
The system is known for its ability to destroy swarms of drones, as well as aircraft and cruise missiles.
The developer and manufacturer of the Skynex anti-aircraft artillery system is the German company Rheinmetall. The system is quite "young" - it was introduced in the fall of 2021.
The plans to transfer such weapons to Ukraine became known by the German press back in December 2022, when the arms concern began producing air defense systems for the Defense Forces. It was expected that our country would receive two Skynex units no earlier than 2024.
According to Handelsblatt, Rheinmetall estimated the cost of the two systems at 182 million euros. The costs were covered by the German government.
At the same time, at the end of April last year, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that Skynex short-range air defense systems were already on combat duty in Ukraine.
In July, Rheinmetall announced that Ukraine would receive two advanced Skynex air defense systems in the second half of 2023.
Skynex is designed for short-range air defense, similar to the German Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems that have long been used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This system is capable of shooting down swarms of drones, as well as cruise missiles with 35-millimeter ammunition and aircraft.
In particular, the Skynex's ability to engage multiple UAVs using the Oerlikon Mk3 35mm cannon was demonstrated during tests two years ago.
The modularity of the SAM control unit makes it possible to connect only those systems that are relevant to a specific task. According to experts, Skynex, as well as the IRIS-T systems transferred by Germany to Ukraine, are quite accurate air defense systems. At the same time, Skynex is credited with a certain financial advantage over other systems, since, for example, shooting down an aircraft costs about 4,000 euros. While the price for a downed missile for IRIS-T ranges from 300 thousand to 500 thousand euros,
It should also be noted that the previously delivered IRIS-T medium-range air defense system is capable of shooting down targets at a distance of up to 40 km, and the anti-aircraft guns on Skynex can fire effectively at 4 km. But both systems are considered extremely accurate.
Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 05/01/2024
