Skynex has arrived – the German drone destroyer: Fires 1,000 bullets per minute, which explode before reaching their target (Photo&Video)

Ukraine has just received its second Skynex air defense system from Germany.

That’s good news for the struggling air defenses, which have run out of ammunition because of the delay in US aid.

What is Skynex?

According to its German manufacturer Rheinmetall, Skynex is a “networked air defense” system that provides “a highly effective layered protective shield against a broad spectrum of aerial threats” and serves as a “response against saturation and swarm attacks.”

In short, it is a large, powerful and accurate weapon that is very effective in shooting down drones, writes Kiev Independent.

Why is Skynex needed?

Large air defense systems such as NASAM, IRIS-T and Patriot can easily shoot down drones, but their use for this purpose has a major drawback – cost.

An Iranian-made Shahed drone is cheap (in military terms). Export versions cost around $193,000, and Russian-made ones cost only about $10,000-50,000. A NASAM rocket costs between $600,000 and $1 million. A Patriot missile costs nearly $4 million. A relatively inexpensive IRIS-T missile is still around $450,000.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched more than 4,600 Shahed drones in the first two years of the war, so using air defense missiles to shoot them down is not a financially viable option in the long term.

“One of the key features of warfare is the use of relatively inexpensive delivery systems such as drones,” said Martin J. Dougherty, a weapons expert and author of “Aircraft, Tanks and Artillery of the Ukraine War“, for Kyiv Independent.

“Defending against such weapons requires a low cost per engagement and the ability to eliminate multiple threats in a short amount of time. The difficulty of detecting, tracking and hitting such small targets is also considerable.”

Ukraine has so far relied on systems like the German-made Gepard and the rudimentary and not always effective tactic of shooting them down with large, 50-caliber truck-mounted machine guns.

Skynex is a middle ground between the two – a highly accurate system that can shoot down drones, but uses much cheaper ammunition than a Patriot missile.

How does Skynex work?

Skynex is a modular system, meaning it can be configured in a variety of ways depending on the threat.

Technical details of the systems sent to Ukraine have not been made public, but a version shown in a 2022 Rheinmetall promotional video would seem a likely candidate.

It is a system that uses an Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3, capable of firing at a rate of 1,000 rounds per minute, with a range of 4,000 meters. This is mounted on a truck and destroys a swarm of small FPV drones in one burst.

According to Rheinmetall’s description, Skynex uses a variety of sensors as well as “one or more medium-range radars” to detect and identify drones, all coordinated through the Oerlikon Skymaster Battle Management System.

But the ammo is the key – the Skynex fires 35mm Oerlikon Ahead bullets. Instead of hitting the target directly, they explode just before reaching it, releasing a group of tungsten subprojectiles that increase the chances of successfully destroying the drone.

It’s also relatively cheap – taking out a target costs just over $4,000, much cheaper than the lowest estimated price of a Shahed drone.

According to the manufacturer, the system could theoretically shoot down cruise missiles, but so far it is not known if it has done so.

“Skynex was developed to counter small, low-cost threats such as mortar attacks, this capability has transferred well to the emerging drone threat and can be critical to a layered air defense system,” Dougherty said.

Will it change the game?

As far as has been officially reported so far, Ukraine has only two Skynex systems, far too few to have a decisive impact on the war.

But while their whereabouts have not been made public, given their effectiveness, it’s safe to assume that the two systems are protecting at least two very important targets—possibly even their larger, more powerful siblings.

“High-value missile systems capable of striking enemy aircraft at long range can be vulnerable to attacks with small, hard-to-track munitions. Short-range air defense systems such as Skynex may be needed to keep more powerful systems in the game,” explains Dougherty.