"The Oerlikon Skyranger is designed to fulfill the role of short-ranged airspace denial and consists of a family of networked vehicles."
Power & Performance Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Oerlikon Skyranger Mobile Air Defense System (MADS).
ARTEC Boxer 8x8: 1 x MTU V8 199 TE20 diesel-fueled engine developing 711 horsepower driving conventional 8-wheeled arrangement. Installed Power
64 mph 103 kph Road Speed
652 miles 1,050 km Range
Structure The physical qualities of the Oerlikon Skyranger Mobile Air Defense System (MADS).
2 (MANNED) Crew
25.9 ft 7.88 meters O/A Length
11.8 ft 3.6 meters O/A Width
9.8 ft 3 meters O/A Height
56,449 lb 25,605 kg | 28.2 tons Weight
Armament & Ammunition Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Oerlikon Skyranger Mobile Air Defense System (MADS).
Anti-Aircraft Gun Carrier:
1 x 35mm Oerlikon "Revolver Gun" automatic cannon in turret.
Missile Carrier:
4 x "Stinger" or "Cheetah" short-ranged, Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs) in two four-shot packs on trainable mounting.
AMMUNITION: Dependent upon armament fitted.
Variants Notable series variants as part of the Oerlikon Skyranger family line.
Skyranger - Base Series Designation.
Skyranger Gun - 1 x 35mm Oerlikon automatic cannon in unmanned traversing turret (vehicle roof).
Skyranger Missile - Missile carrier; 2 x 4-shot missile packs on trainable mounting (vehicle roof).
Skyranger SRCN - Search Radar Control Node carrier.
The Swiss-originated Oerlikon "Skyranger" is billed as a Mobile Air Defense System (MADS) is a weapons network developed around the qualities of mobility and modularity in a short-ranged fighting environment. For the former, the airspace denial weapons and related systems are situated atop an 8x8 Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) allowing for quick relocation of said system, providing an inherent amphibious capability for cutting across water sources, and the capability of cross-country traversing in keeping up with the main fighting force. For the latter, the Skyranger network constitutes a series of related weapons and systems operating from a singular multi-wheeled chassis for simplified logistics and operations.
The end-result is a complete, all-modern airspace denial network suitable for the defense of key installations such as airbases and bridges. The wheeled nature of all of the network's components ensures tactical flexibility in virtually any land fighting environment.
The vehicles in the family tree include the Skyranger Gun automatic cannon platform, the Skyranger Missile carrier, and the Skyranger Search Radar Control Node (SRCN) for advanced search-and-tracking. Skyranger Gun seats a 35mm Oerlion automatic cannon (based in the Rheinmentall Oerlikon GDM-008 "Millenium" weapon already proven as a naval Close-In Weapon System aboard warships) in the front turret face, offering complete 360 traversal of the main weapon as well as high/low elevation tracking. The Skyranger Missile carrier vehicle brings to bear 2 x Four-shot launchers (eight total missiles) mounted to either side of a traversing turret. Supported missile systems currently include the American "Stinger" and German-South African "Cheetah" for short-ranged airspace denial and contesting. The SRCN vehicle is outfitted with applicable search-and-tracking systems to aid in overall network accuracy, efficiency, and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF).
All turreted forms of the Skyranger system showcase unmanned turrets - reducing the committed operational crew. Trials chassis supporting the Skyranger system include the ARTEC "Boxer" and MOWAG "Piranha III" and "Piranha IV" series vehicles already in service worldwide.
The Skyranger, unveiled in 2009, is being actively marketed as of this writing (2019). Beyond its intended use as an airspace denial system, the Skyranger is equally-capable of engaging ground targets at-range.
Operators Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Oerlikon Skyranger. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.
Total Production: 10 Units Contractor(s): Oerlikon - Switzerland / Rheinmetall - Germany
[ Germany (possible); Switzerland (possible) ]
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Image from official Rheinmetall marketing materials.
Going Further... The Oerlikon Skyranger Mobile Air Defense System (MADS) appears in the following collections:
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