Yesterday, on the 4th of August 2024, the Ukrainian Air Force celebrated its 20th anniversary in its current form. Naturally, this anniversary was associated with ceremonies and PR activities, even if they were certainly smaller than intended as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
As usual, during the ceremonies, which were of course also attended by the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, some of the modern equipment that is used daily against the Russian forces was on display.
As no other country has supplied more air defence systems and other air defence related equipment to Ukraine than Germany, the published PR material obviously also showed some equipment supplied by Germany.
In this article, I will provide an overview of interesting insights that we have gained thanks to the video footage and imagery published yesterday.
Iveco-mounted TRML-4D
Let’s start with a high-performance air surveillance radar that has been regularly provided to Ukraine by Germany since 2022 — the TRML-4D.
The radar manufactured by the German defence company HENSOLDT is capable of tracking up to 1500 targets simultaneously within a radius of 250 km. It’s a state-of-the art radar and its performance is one of the reasons why it is part of the highly praised IRIS-T SLM air defence system produced by Diehl Defence, which has been in use in Ukraine since 2022.
The attentive eye will have noticed that the TRML-4D is not mounted on an HX truck produced by Rheinmetall — for example a MAN HX77 — as is usually the case with the radar systems that are part of IRIS-T SLM. Generally speaking, the TRML-4D can be mounted on any truck equipped with 20 ft ISO container fittings. In this case, it was an Iveco Trakker 500E6.
Industry circles confirmed my assumption that this is not one of the radars that was delivered to Ukraine as part of IRIS-T SLM, but one that was delivered separately.
It is known that the German government has also supplied eleven TRML-4D air surveillance radars as stand-alone solutions, in addition to the four TRML-4Ds supplied to date as part of IRIS-T SLM. Another four will be delivered to Ukraine this year.
According to my information, the Ukrainian operators had no specific requirements on which basis the TRML-4D should be mounted on, so HENSOLDT decided to prioritise the availability to ensure a faster delivery to Ukraine.
This led to a total of three TRML-4D air surveillance radars mounted on Iveco Trakker trucks being delivered to Ukraine as stand-alone solutions, while using the usual Rheinmetall trucks for the remaining radar systems which got and still get delivered later on.
Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3
Let’s continue with footage released by the Air Command West, showing for the first time a component of the Skynex air defence system, of which Germany has so far delivered two to Ukraine.
Image: Air Command WestIn the several-second long video clip, an Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3, also known as a “shooter”, can be seen for the first time. Up to four of them form the shooter grid of a single Skynex air defence system.
The manufacturer Rheinmetall supplies all components mounted on additional HX 8×8 trucks with a swap-body system, which guarantees greater mobility. Interestingly, the pictures published by the AFU show a dismounted Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3, which likely means at least this Skynex system serves its purpose of protecting, for example, vital military infrastructure.
For example, it is quite possible that this Skynex system could be used permanently for close-range protection of a military airfield — i.e. to defend against loitering munitions. As the location does not need to be changed regularly, the components are dismounted.
Another interesting fact is that the Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3 is fitted with special camouflage. Given the colour scheme, the purpose isn’t to hide the component visually, but from thermal imaging cameras.
Most probably, the installed camouflage is the SolarΣShield. This is a signature management solution against thermal, visual, radar and ultraviolet detection. Although it has various purposes, thermal protection likely takes priority in this case.
It is only logical that the Oerlikon Revolver Guns Mk3 can become very hot during firing. To dampen this heat signature, a signature management solution has obviously been used. An interesting, smart and so far unknown detail!
IRIS-T SLM missile launch
Footage also published on the social media channels of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine which shows a previously unpublished launch of an IRIS-T SL missile including the interception of a target.
The published video material also shows where two different IRIS-T SLM fire units have been put into service. You can see the patches of the 11th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment and the 96th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade. Of particular interest is the 96th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, where also the MIM-104 Patriot air defence system is in service.
While the German side is very transparent about the amount of Patriot missiles delivered to Ukraine, it remains very non-transparent when it comes to the supply of missiles for the Ukrainian IRIS-T SLM fire units.
In a recent published article by hartpunkt based on information provided by the CEO of Diehl Defence Helmut Rauch it was revealed that the Ukrainian armed forces have been able to intercept around 240 targets thanks to the back then three IRIS-T SLM fire units supplied by Germany.
If one now takes the success rate of almost 100% for the interceptions and add a half reload (four missiles) per fire unit that have missed their target, this brings us to a total of 252 IRIS-T SL missiles that got used in Ukraine as of early June 2024. Of course, this is just my estimate based on publicly available data.
Gepard SPAAG & Cheetah SPAAG
Finally, let’s have a look at pictures of Gepard & Cheetah SPAAGs supplied by Germany, which were published yesterday by the Air Command West.
Germany promised to deliver Gepard SPAAGs early on in the first year of the full-scale invasion. Initially ridiculed, the system, which had already been decommissioned by the Bundeswehr many years earlier, proved to be a real stroke of luck.
Image: Air Command West
Image: Air Command WestNo other system is as cost-effective in successfully intercepting loitering munitions such as Shahed 136 drones as the Gepard SPAAG, of which Germany has so far delivered a total of 52 to Ukraine. At least until the first Skynex system was delivered.
These self-propelled anti-aircraft guns which are also, for example, capable of intercepting Russian cruise missiles were either bought back from the industry or from Qatar, for example. The Dutch version, which differs from the German version by, for example, having a different radar, was also pledged to be delivered in the future.
In cooperation with Germany, the US has bought back up to 60 of them from Jordan, 15 of which are financed and supplied by Germany alone.
In June 2024, the Air Command West made the delivery of Cheetah SPAAGs to Ukraine public for the first time, which was frankly long overdue. Major General Christian Freuding had already promised last year that up to 30 of them would be delivered to Ukraine in cooperation with the US! However, this delivery failed to materialise, at least officially.
Recently published footage that I found during my research shows Ukrainian soldiers standing in front of a Cheetah SPAAG in snowy Ukraine! This strongly suggests that the first Cheetah SPAAGs were delivered more or less on time after all, even if neither the USA nor Germany currently want to take credit for this.
This again serves as a reminder for us that we don’t know everything which is going on in Ukraine, and the situation might not always be that bad as it always seems.
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