Popular Mechanics:
A new air defense system designed to shoot down incoming rockets, artillery, and mortar shells is also being designed to intercept aircraft-dropped bombs. The system, known as Cheetah, could revolutionize air to ground warfare as we know it, allowing ground forces to shoot down air-to-ground weapons after they are deployed.
Traditionally, ground forces had just a few ways to avoid being the target of aircraft bombs. The first and most obvious way is to avoid being seen and targeted, either by hiding in forests, among rough terrain, or under camouflage netting. The second way is to shoot the aircraft down before it can release its munitions. Once the bombs are released, however, there’s nothing to do but take cover.
Cheetah, developed by German defense contractor Rheinmetall, is a counter-rocket artillery and mortar system (C-RAM). The system uses radar and short-range interceptor missiles to detect, track, and shoot down artillery rounds in mid-flight. According to the contractor, the objective is the ability to shoot down a U.S. BLU-109 bunker buster bomb at 6 kilometers (3.72 miles).
