Australia is transferring powerful anti-drone systems, Slinger, to Ukraine. They will deliver 10 ‘drone killers’ by the end of 2023.
Source: ABC.
Australia is transferring powerful anti-drone systems, Slinger, to Ukraine
An Australian company has manufactured and delivered the Slinger drone-killing system to Ukraine. It will assist Ukraine in better safeguarding its airspace, according to Matt Jones, a representative of Electro Optic Systems.
The system is being assembled at an industrial site in Canberra, Australia, and it will help Ukraine better defend against Russian drone attacks. The cannon, mounted on a pickup truck, tracks targets and is part of an armament system that shoots down enemy drones. This system is called Slinger and is designed to combat drones at a cost Ukraine can afford. Matt Jones stated that the company sees a widespread threat from drones used to attack Ukraine.
“The problem is that the types of systems Ukraine is currently using to combat drones are too expensive to destroy a target worth $10,000 or even $1,000,” he said.
Slinger is manufactured using complex technology
Slinger is an anti-drone combat module produced by the Australian company Electro Optic Systems, equipped with a 30mm automatic cannon Bushmaster M230LF. Targeting is done using an electro-optical complex with a night infrared detector (can rotate independently of the cannon) and a 4D radar Echodyne EchoGuard, the module is also equipped with a wind sensor. Together with advanced ammunition produced by Northrop Grumman with radiofrequency proximity fuzes, according to the manufacturer’s statements, the complex can accurately hit small UAVs with a single shot.
The light weight (up to 400 kg) allows for installation on light vehicles, such as HMMWVs or “Kozak.” Retired Australian Major General Mick Ryan stated that the war has permanently changed Ukraine, and drones play a significant role along the front lines. The Iranian drone model “Shaheed,” used by Russia to target tanks and bridges, costs around $31,000.
“Until recently, we had to use very expensive missiles to shoot down such objects,” Ryan said.
EOS engineer and tester Charlotte Kapper explained that the Slinger system uses advanced technology to achieve its results. She used a joystick to track the drone on the system’s targeting screen.
“I’m just making sure it stays on the right path, and when we get the signal, we can fire and shoot down the drone,” she said.
She clarified that learning to use it is very quick and easy. A person doesn’t need to know much about the technology. Last month, Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia Vasil Myroshnychenko witnessed how Slinger can shoot down drones during a test. The price of Slinger is at least $1.55 million per system. It is expected that ten Slinger systems currently in production will be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the year as part of the U.S. military aid package.