18 September 2023
by Christopher Petrov
The Skyranger 35 is an unmanned 35 mm air-defence turret that in this case has been fitted to a Boxer module. The turret is housed atop the module and consumes an insignificant amount of internal volume. (Janes/Christopher Petrov)
Rheinmetall displayed a new mobile cannon-based air-defence solution at DSEI 2023 in London.
Rheinmetall has already developed the Skyranger 30 and its new Skyranger 35 introduces a larger-calibre gun, using the 35 mm revolver gun design that is also employed on its semi-mobile and static air-defence solution, Skynex.
Pascal Büchler, vice-president at Rheinmetall Air Defence, told Janes that the Skyranger 35 is being marketed to customers who prefer cannon- and missile-based air defence to be separated onto distinct platforms. Given the additional weight of the 35 mm cannon over the 30 mm used on the Skyranger 30, a missile pod for the Skyranger 35 is not currently offered. Aside from armament differences, the user interfaces for the Skyranger turrets are the same.
29 April 2024
by Ridzwan Rahmat
A model of the South Korea-developed CIWS-II on display at MADEX 2023. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)
South Korea's defence procurement agency has announced programmes to bolster its navy's ability to intercept ballistic missiles and unmanned vehicles.
These include a programme to improve the country's indigenous close-in weapon system (CIWS) project undertaken in consideration of recent changes in warfare techniques, said the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) in its announcement on 26 April.
South Korea's indigenously conceived CIWS is known as the ‘CIWS-II' and it is being developed by LIGNex1 under a contract awarded in 2021.
It is based on a seven-barrelled Gatling gun system incorporated with a tracking active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a four-faced AESA search radar, and an electro-optical tracker. The weapon can fire about 4,200 rounds per minute.
At the 161st meeting of the country's Defense Program Promotion Committee that was held on the same day of the announcement, changes to the CIWS-II programme's quantity and localisation plans were decided on, DAPA said without giving further details.
25 April 2024
by Gareth Jennings
An AARGM-ER seen being test fitted into the internal weapons bay of an F-35 combat aircraft. The US has approved the sale of the missile to both the Netherlands and Poland. (Northrop Grumman)
The US government has approved the sale of the Northrop Grumman AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM-ER) to the Netherlands and Poland.
Announced by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 24 April, the approvals cover 265 of the suppression of enemy air defences/destruction of enemy air defences (SEAD/DEAD) missiles for the Netherlands for approximately USD700 million, and 360 missiles for Poland for approximately USD1.275 billion. Both approvals cover related equipment, training, and support.
“The proposed sale will improve the Netherlands'/Poland's capability to meet current and future threats by strengthening its self-defence capabilities to suppress and destroy land- or sea-based radar emitters associated with enemy air defences. This capability denies the adversary the use of its air-defence systems, thereby improving the survivability of the Netherlands'/Poland's tactical aircraft,” the DSCA said of both approvals.
18 March 2024
by Ridzwan Rahmat
An Exocet MM40 Block 3 missile being launched from an Indonesian Navy Bung Tomo-class frigate. The country's latest attempt to replenish its stock of Exocet missiles has been delayed by non-conformity issues. (Indonesian Navy Armada I)
Indonesia will have to restart a process to replenish the country's stock of MBDA Exocet MM40 Block 3 anti-ship missiles after an earlier attempt failed because of licensing non-conformity issues.
A 24 February letter from the Indonesian Ministry of Finance's (MoF's) Directorate General of Budget Financing and Risk Management sent to various departments at the country's Ministry of Defense (MoD) confirmed that a previously granted permission to procure the missiles with foreign loans has now lapsed.
A copy of the letter was provided to Janes on 18 March by sources close to the procurement process.
In the letter, the MoF advised the respective MoD departments to resubmit a request for a total of three programmes for which the permission to take on foreign loans has lapsed, including the Exocet missile procurement.
Rheinmetall displayed a new mobile cannon-based air-defence solution at DSEI 2023 in London.
In this podcast Janes analysts discuss the Iranian attacks on Israel on the 14 April. They highlight the military systems used by Iran and the performance and impact of these on Israel. They also discuss the implications of this attack goi...
Listen now