Germany defends Finland against drones

In December, a demonstration of the new German Skyspotter drone detection and warning system took place at the Lohtaja training range in Finland. The purpose of the event was to showcase the system’s ability to detect, classify, and track various types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) moving at different speeds.

During the demonstration, Skyspotter was tested against quadcopter-type drones as well as jet-powered UAVs. The event also highlighted effective cooperation between Rheinmetall, XD Solution, and the Finnish Defence Forces.

Skyspotter was developed as a general-purpose solution for airspace threats but is primarily calibrated for the detection, tracking, and identification of drones. It can be deployed to protect critical infrastructure in both mobile and stationary configurations. In Finland, the system was mounted on an RMMV HX 6x6 truck (supplied by Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH).

Skyspotter features an open architecture that allows integration with additional sensors and various types of weapon systems. In this case, a turret module equipped with a 30 mm revolver cannon (a solution similar to that used in the Skyranger 30 systems) firing KETF ammunition was employed for counter-drone operations. This ammunition relies solely on its own kinetic energy (so-called kinetic impact ammunition).

Additionally, drones can be neutralized using a jammer or an interceptor drone. With this, the German company presents yet another solution—alongside the previously mentioned Skyranger 30/35 and Skynex systems—in the counter-drone segment.