Ukraine has been successfully using gun anti-aircraft systems to intercept russian missiles and UAVs for more than one year. Recently, the Armed Forces of Ukraine even published information about a new weapon in its arsenal - Skyranger 35. Given the trends that can be seen from the experience of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the U.S. Air Force is currently also considering the possibility of obtaining similar systems in its arsenal.
According to the published Request for Information (RFI), the U.S. military is conducting a market study and existing offers in the segment of air defense systems based on medium-caliber guns. They are need to shoot down cruise missiles as well as a wide range of UAVs: from small to long-range.
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The U.S. Air Force requirements refer to the probability of interception for given types of targets, the range and maximum altitude of target engagement, the volume of ammunition and the ability to repel massive attacks. The system should provide deep integration with C2 systems, as well as compatibility in working in a single network and seamless integration with different sensors.
It is also required to maintain a balance in the issues of combat use and the cost of shooting down a single target, the need for personnel and the ability to self-diagnostic. Also required are the transportability of the system, the ability to operate in different environments and support strict security protocols.
The importance of maintaining a balance between the effectiveness and cost of ammunition, as well as between different types of sensors, such as radar and optical location systems, is emphasized. The anti-aircraft artillery system should be modular, easy to transport as well as quickly deployed.
Defense Express notes that this approach of the American military is quite logical, given the need to protect air bases from modern threats, including inexpensive and mass-produced UAVs. Gun systems are indeed cheaper to use than traditional air defense systems, although they have limitations in the range of air targets. Even older systems, such as the Soviet-made 2K22 Tunguska tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun and the German 'Cheetah' anti-aircraft-gun tank, show good results in Ukraine.
When considering possible options that would meet the requirements of the U.S. Air Force, Rheinmetall's developments, namely Skynex and Skyranger, come to mind. They can be installed on both stationary and mobile platforms at the customer's choice, and are already in use in Ukraine.
The German concern already has an American branch that is participating in the competition for the new generation XM30 infantry fighting vehicle, so it will almost certainly respond to the request. However, this is far from the cheapest solution on the market, where even ammunition will have to be paid dearly.
An alternative may be the Raid Hunter air defense system based on a 50-mm cannon as part of an advanced, scalable portfolio of layered kinetic capabilities developed by Northrop Grumman to protect critical military assets from high-volume aerial threats. It is advertised as a cheap solution with quick reloading and the ability to be transported on a C-130 aircraft.
We can also mention the 40-mm Tridon Mk2 anti-aircraft artillery system developed by BAE, which also has programmable ammunition and is planned to be delivered to Ukraine.
In general, it is difficult to say who has a chance to win, given that the tender has not even been announced. At the same time, it is now clearly visible that after gaining combat experience during the confrontation with Iran, the U.S. Air Force is actively looking for modern systems to improve the air defense system.
Read more: Rheinmetall to Supply Ukraine With Skyranger 35 Systems Funded by Frozen russian Assets
