Rheinmetall sells Skyguard 3 systems to international customer
Skyguard 3 air defence system. (Photo: Rheinmetall)
Rheinmetall on 5 July announced a new €65 million contract ‘of great importance’ to supply Skyguard 3 air defence systems for an unnamed international customer.
Deliveries of the Oerlikon Skyguard 3s with GDF009 twin 35mm guns and airburst-capable Advanced Hit Efficiency and Destruction (AHEAD) ammunition, plus spare parts, are scheduled for completion in 2024.
As the third-generation Skyguard system, Skyguard 3 is optimised for inner-tier air defence and base/fixed-asset protection. The fire-control unit in Skyguard 3 connects up to four effectors.
The twin 35mm guns have a maximum rate of fire of 1,100 rounds per minute.
AHEAD ammunition is designed specifically for small, very low and fast-flying targets such as UAVs, loitering munitions and missiles. A single AHEAD round ejects a lethal shower of 152 spin-stabilised sub-projectiles, each weighing 3.3g.
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