Skyshield 35

Quick Facts

Variants	Skyshield MOOTW/C-RAM Skyshield High Energy Laser
Role and Mobility	Short-Range Air Defense; Land-Based and Road-Mobile
Interceptors and Range	Rheinmetall’s Advanced Hit Efficiency and Destruction (AHEAD) Ammunition Range: 4km
Sensors	C4I Sensor Module Fire Control-Antenna revolution targeting system
Targets	Anti-Ship Missiles and Hostile Aircraft
Status/Exports	Operational; Indonesia, South Africa and Switzerland
Designer/Producer	Rheinmetall Air Defense AG

Overview

The Skyshield is an all-weather short-range air defense (SHORAD) system that was developed by Oerlikon Contraves.^[i] It can be placed on a pallet or truck-mounted and has autonomous search and tracking capabilities.^[ii] It uses a the Oerlikon 35/1000 Revolver Gun, which fires Rheinmetall’s Advanced Hit Efficiency And Destruction (AHEAD) ammunition.^[iii] AHEAD ammunition consists of 35mm x 228 airburst munition (ABM) rounds which detonate in front of a target, at a predefined and programmable point in time, ejecting a plethora of spin-stabilized cylindrical tungsten sub-projectiles which use hit-to-kill interception to destroy the target.^[iv] Because there are so many sub-projectiles, the Skyshield has an enhanced kill probability.^[v]

Skyshield 35: The Skyshield 35 was the original SHORAD system.

Skyshield “Military Operations Other Than War” (MOOTW)/C-RAM: A variant of the Skyshield 35 designed to protect civilians and high value assets from insurgents and terrorists.

Skyshield High Energy Laser: Uses a fiber laser beam to shoot down targets such as drones.^[vi]

Strategic Implications

A key advantage of the Skyshield system rests on the use of AHEAD ammunition. Because these ABM rounds release a payload of sub-projectiles, effectively turning one round into several, a country using the Skyshield can intercept more targets while using less ammunition. Also, as its coupled with a radar system capable of detecting targets up to 20km away, Skyshield can immediately target any threat that comes close to the country’s borders.^[vii] The Skyshield would be best used as a close-in weapon system (CIWS), or as one that protects very high value assets that are susceptible to proximal attacks.