Reference News November 8 Report - According to a report on the website of the US "Defense News" Weekly on November 7, the German Bundestag approved a funding proposal on November 5 for Germany to develop and deploy a small anti-drone missile, aimed at countering drones at low cost.

  This missile, known as the "SADM," will be installed on the "Sky Ranger 30" air defense system manufactured by Germany's Rheinmetall AG, serving as a supplement to the primary weapon. The new missile will be produced by MBDA, which has named the weapon the "Air Defense" missile.

   In an email sent to the "Defense News" Weekly website, Rheinmetall stated that the launcher required to integrate the SADM into the "Sky Ranger" air defense system is already included in the turret. Depending on the configuration of the launch tubes, it will be able to accommodate 9 to 12 missiles.

  According to previous reports, the missile will extend the "Sky Ranger's" effective engagement range from 2 kilometers to approximately 6 kilometers. The new weapon will feature specialized guidance capabilities and a warhead designed to counter drones.

  The German Bundeswehr stated that with the introduction of these missiles, the "Sky Ranger" system will be "fully capable of defending against small and micro drones." In a press release, the military noted that this reflects lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, where the use of small and micro drones in Ukraine "poses a significant threat to populations, soldiers, weapon systems, and infrastructure."

  On November 6, the military stated that these missiles, along with artillery, could enable a single "Sky Ranger" system to destroy up to 30 drones in one engagement. This will mark the first time the German military's arsenal is equipped with an armored air defense system specifically designed to counter drones.

  The decision to select the SADM over competing solutions, including the "Stinger" missile, was made by the government in May. This week's approval by the German Bundestag cleared the legal obstacles for the high-value military procurement project.

  According to a report by the German news website "Hardpoint," the development and procurement of the new missile are said to cost at least 490 million euros.

  According to the German Bundeswehr, the SADM will be added to the list of systems that align with the European Sky Shield Initiative, an effort launched by the previous German government to address gaps in the continent's air defense capabilities.

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Post time:Sep-25-2020