Every day there is information about Russian ships carrying cruise missiles going on combat duty. Protecting critical infrastructure is a priority that the Ukrainian government emphasizes when requesting military assistance. In one of these appeals, it became known that Ukraine requested the transfer of C-RAM type air defense systems. What are the advantages of this type of weapons and its capabilities, read further.

Features of C-RAM

The name of C-RAM air defense immediately explains its purpose, because in English it means Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar, which translates as countering rockets, artillery and mortars. This type of weapon allows you to destroy air targets during their flight, and the system consists of means of detection and destruction.

Today, the Israeli Iron Dome system is best known for the C-RAM concept, but C-RAM is most often defined as rapid-firing anti-aircraft artillery systems with their own detection means, and these are the two ground complexes — the American Centurion C-RAM and the German MANTIS.

The need to transfer this type of weapons to Ukraine lies in the possibility of rapid deployment of the system. Centurion C-RAM is an automated complex that does not require long-term training of the personnel who will serve it.

The complex uses radar systems that can be integrated with other means of air defense. According to military experts, the Centurion C-RAM will easily cope with attacks by Iranian drones and will best demonstrate its capabilities when protecting energy facilities.

American Centurion C-RAM

Centurion C-RAM is a ground-based rapid-fire automated system of the American manufacturer Raytheon. This is a land-based version of the Phalanx shipboard anti-missile system, which was created to detect and destroy various types of threats capable of overcoming the ship’s defense system.

The C-RAM Centurion is able to integrate into the overall air defense system, the complex is quite new, because the world saw it in 2009 at the DSEI defense exhibition in London.

Centurion C-RAM is built on the basis of a rapid-firing 20-mm M61A1 Gatling gun, which has an impressive rate of shots – 4500 per minute. The use of two types of M-246 or M-940 shells is available, as well as the choice of a rate of fire of 3000 or 4500 rounds. It should be noted that the shells support a self-destruct system for use in urban areas.

Self-destruction of outgoing projectiles is required to minimize the risks of not hitting the target. The firing range is 1.5 km, the speed of the projectile is 1100 m/s. The detection system consists of an AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder counter-battery radar, an optical-thermal imaging module and an infrared camera.

Centurion C-RAM requires minimal human involvement, because the radar system automatically captures and tracks the target, the system calculates the flight path and determines the right time to strike.

Automation allows you to perform most of the work of the complex independently, the operator only has to monitor its operation, ensure operability and confirm the request to destroy the target that violated the perimeter of the protected area.

The Centurion complex is known for its high efficiency against shooting down both cruise missiles and drones. The combat experience in Iraq is a confirmation – the use of the system for two years helped shoot down about a hundred rockets and mortar shells, which make up 70-80% of air targets. The Centurion was used to protect military bases and airports in Baghdad.

MANTIS C-RAM

The German MANTIS Air Defense System is a short-range anti-aircraft artillery system. Built on the basis of a complex of 35-mm Oerlikon GDF guns with shells that support programmed detonation for the destruction of air targets and a central ground control unit.

The complex is manufactured by Rheinmetall, and today the German government has ordered two copies of MANTIS for the future SysFla air defense program of the Bundeswehr army. The purpose of the system is similar to the American one – the protection of military bases and other vulnerable objects from missile, artillery and mortar attacks.

The MANTIS protection system is also fully automated and operates around the clock. The automatic process allows the weapon to fire instantly through the threat of a calculated flight path. The guns are capable of firing 1,000 rounds per minute, firing 24 bursts of high-speed fire at the target intercept point.

Given that the request for the transfer of C-RAM type weapons has been received by the USA, it is expected that Ukraine needs Centurion complexes in particular. The potential amount ready for transfer is unknown. After the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, it can be assumed that the USA has at its disposal a large number of such weapons, but there are no exact data.

According to Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the NSDC, Ukraine needs not only effective air defense equipment, but also long-range missiles. It is the presence of missiles with a range of 800 km that will save on generators and effectively solve the problem of missile danger.