The acquisition of the air defense system Skynex by the Italian Army represents a strategic turning point in the protection of our armed forces and national territories.
In an increasingly unstable geopolitical context, where aerial threats such as drones and missiles have become a concrete and constant reality, the introduction was now an essential decision.
Cdare is Skynex?
It is a VSHORAD (very short-range air defense) system developed by Rheinmetall, designed to counter threats such as drones, cruise missiles, artillery shells and stray munitions.
Skynex It consists of a surveillance unit with XTAR 3D radar, a command and control station, and four fire units with Revolver Gun Mk3 by 35 mm.
The machine guns use different programmable AHEAD ammunition1 (Advanced Hit Efficiency And Destruction), capable of ensuring high precision and resistance to electronic countermeasures.
The radar has a range of up to 50 km and the gun engagement capability reaches 4 km with a rate of fire of 1000 rounds per minute.
The system - already successfully tested in Ukraine - offers an excellent cost-effectiveness ratio, being cheaper than missile systems.
It's not “closed”!
Skynex represents an important evolution in the concept of modularity thanks to its open architecture which allows the integration not only of existing units but also of advanced mobile systems such as the Skyranger (photo - soon to be adopted with the AICS program). This flexibility allows to create an integrated defensive network and - combining static protection with the mobile defense of other systems (Skyranger, but also missiles Mistral, Stinger, SkyKnight, up to the machine guns of the Mission master in USHORAD configuration) - expandable to provide protection from 50 meters to over 10 kilometers.
Let's imagine two scenarios…
In a quiet United Nations-run base, a group of soldiers stand guard along the outer perimeter. Their post is equipped with surveillance radar and jammers capable of detecting and disrupting drones of various sizes. It is nighttime, with limited visibility.
The soldiers hear a buzzing sound only when the drones are already about 1500 meters from the base. The soldiers immediately activate the alarm to alert the base personnel. However, the reaction time is limited: drones wire-guided they hit the detection and communication systems, as well as the electronic jammers. At the same time, from several surrounding areas, dozens of drones programmed to strike autonomously take flight.
The military tries to reach the protected areas, but the distance between the guard posts and the bunkers is too great (a simple commercial drone covers the distance of 500 meters in less than 30 seconds...). Surveillance towers, depots, accommodations and vehicles are blown up in a chain reaction.
Imagine if artillery and/or missiles were added and the drones were more advanced or capable? The seconds to react would be fewer, the damage greater.
Now let's imagine the same context, but with the intervention of Skynex.
In a high-risk operational base, where the threat of UAVs and artillery fire is constant, in the dead of night, the XTAR 3D radar detects wire-guided drones at a distance of 1500 meters. The command and control station processes the data, classifying the swarm as an imminent threat. The system Skynex assign automatically the targets to Revolver Gun Mk3.
When the drones have traveled only a few hundred meters, the machine guns open fire, releasing a cloud of submunitions that quickly neutralizes all targets before they reach the perimeter of the base. Even without jammers, any subsequent waves are "welcome."
The base remains fully operational. Communications, infrastructure and personnel are secure. The soldiers on guard observe the system's intervention without ever being forced to leave their posts and find themselves in danger.
If we had had a similar solution during the missions in Afghanistan, could we have guaranteed greater security to our contingents, often exposed to sudden and lethal attacks? Of course, but then similar equipment (and sensitivity...) were the prerogative of other bases and other "allied" armies.
The introduction of Skynex will allow you to face current and future missions with greater confidence, with the ability to quickly adapt your defenses in the event of threat updates.
1The ammunition AHEAD release a cloud of pre-detonated submunitions, optimized to hit aerial targets such as drones, missiles or artillery shells, ensuring high lethalityà and resistance to electronic countermeasures
Images: Rheinmetall
