“Drone killer”: Australia hands over Slinger systems to Ukraine

Australia has provided Ukraine with Slinger anti-drone systems. They are capable of shooting down Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones and helicopters.

Slinger should help Ukraine repel Russian drone attacks. Drones play a massive role above the front line. Thousands of drones are in the air every day.

Ukraine to receive Slinger anti-drone systems

An Australian company has manufactured and handed the Slinger anti-drone system to Ukraine. This was announced by Electro Optic Systems (EOS) representative Matt Jones, ABC reports.

These systems are assembled at an industrial site in Canberra. The Slinger will help Ukraine defend itself against Russian kamikaze attacks.

The pickup truck has a cannon that tracks the target. It is part of a weapon system that shoots down enemy drones. The Slinger system is designed to fight drones at a price Ukraine can afford.

“We are seeing a massive increase in drone threats in Ukraine. The problem is that the systems that Ukraine uses to fight drones are too expensive to take down a target worth $10,000 or even $1,000,” Jones said.

The Iranian-made Shahed drones used by Russia to attack Ukrainian cities cost about $31,000. Other drones are less expensive. However, the missiles that shoot them down can cost 10 times more.

“Until recently, you had to use very expensive missiles to attack these things. If you’re using a $100,000 or $200,000 missile to shoot down a $10,000 drone, that’s not going to work for most countries,” said retired Australian Major General Mick Ryan.

Ukraine needs mobile air defence groups

Ukraine needs mobile air defence groups to repel cunning Russian massive drone attacks. Natalia Gumenyuk, head of the Joint Coordination Press Center of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, said the available funds should be used rationally.

“The work of mobile fire groups is predominantly used. We need a lot of them to disperse them in all directions,” said Gumenyuk.

According to Ms Gumenyuk, the Russian invading forces are launching kamikaze drones along a complex trajectory.

In June, the occupiers launched 197 drones; in July – 246; in August – 167; and in September – 503 units. This is significantly more than the highest figure in May when Russia used 413 Shaheds.

In September, Ukrainian air defences shot down 396 drones, with an average target down rate of 78.7%, according to the Ukrainian Army’s reports.

The Slinger system

SLINGER is Australia’s counter-UAV system. The company-developer claims that the product is designed to confront aerial threats based on the experience gained in the war in Ukraine countering the Russian invasion. The Slinger system includes:

• Radar.
• A 30mm gun with specially designed ammunition.
• Patented stabilization and guidance technology.

The stabilizer helps to fire effectively even in motion. SLINGER can use programmable high-explosive ammunition with RF approximation, allowing the system to hit drones the size of a Mavic quadcopter.

A compact optical-electronic system and 4D radar provide target detection and tracking. Optical sensors (thermal, night, and television channels) can provide target detection at distances up to 13.7 kilometres.

Depending on the channel and its type, the target can be identified at distances up to 4.7 kilometres.

The system weighs up to 400 kilograms, which makes it suitable for installation on wheeled and tracked platforms, including tactical vehicles like HMMWV and Ukrainian Kozak.

The SLINGER counter-UAV systems will help Ukraine to repel Russian war drone attacks.