Rheinmetall announces large air defence contract

Rheinmetall announced on 30 October that it had been awarded a EUR210 million (USD234.3 million) contract to supply its latest short-range air defence systems to an international customer.

Rheinmetall has announced the first international order for its Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3. (Rheinmetall Defence)

The contract covers the Skymaster command-and-control system, X-TAR3D radars, Oerlikon Revolver Guns, and an ammunition package that includes airburst-capable Ahead rounds. It will be completed by 2022.

The company told Jane’s it was unable to identify the customer or its region but suggested the contract was related to the 14 September cruise missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attack on Saudi oil facilities.

“The events in the Middle East have shown that drones and cruise missiles are the biggest problems. [The] 35 mm Ahead is one of the most appropriate solutions to these threats and has proven it in action. Therefore, we expect a significant market pull for these systems and the order here is one of its signs,” the company said.

The Skymaster enables multiple sensors and weapons to be networked to provide more effective air defence.

The X-TAR3D is a 3D X-band radar that performs short-range detection, classification, identification, and tracking of targets, including ones with very-low radar cross sections, and provides cueing for networked weapon fire-control systems.

The Revolver Gun has an integral radar, electro-optical sensors, and fire-control computer that enable it to track and engage targets autonomously. This is the first export contract for a weapon that is already in service with the Bundeswehr as part of its MANTIS system, which has been deployed to Afghanistan to protect bases from mortars and rockets.