Australian 'drone killer' system Slinger heading for Ukraine - ABC News
With the war in Ukraine the face of war has changed greatly. The US and all of our allies are watching the change and adapting to it. One of the main changes is the drone which has totally changed the battlefield. With this happening Australia has invented the ''Slinger'' a drone killer that is inexpensive and can be mounted on numerous platforms including a pick up truck.
There is a video of the production and field trials.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
7.30 / By Norman HermantPosted Mon 2 Oct 2023 at 12:35amMonday 2 Oct 2023 at 12:35amMon 2 Oct 2023 at 12:35am, updated Mon 2 Oct 2023 at 9:20amMonday 2 Oct 2023 at 9:20amMon 2 Oct 2023 at 9:20amLoading...
In the back lot of an industrial site in Canberra, an Australian-produced response to the growing drone threat in Ukraine runs through its paces.
Key points:
- One of the most effective ways to counter drones is to shoot them down with missiles, but it's not a cost-effective solution
- The Slinger aims to take down drones at a cost of between $155 and $1,550 per engagement
- Ten Slingers will be delivered to Ukraine as part of a US military aid package
A replica cannon mounted on the back of a pick-up truck tracks its target, part of a weapons system that launches "hard kill" strikes to blow drones out of the sky.
It is called Slinger and it is designed to counter drones at a cost that countries like Ukraine can afford.
"We've seen this massive proliferation of drone threats in Ukraine," said Matt Jones from Electro Optic Systems, or EOS.
"The issue is the types of systems you would currently use to defeat drones are way too expensive to defeat a $10,000 or even a $1,000 drone."
Drones play a large role in the Ukraine war. (Reuters: Gleb Garanich )
War has changed forever in Ukraine. Drones play a huge role above the front line. It is estimated thousands of drones are in the air every day.
"The speed at which not only can you find people on the battlefield, the speed at which you can target and destroy them, that is changing tactics," retired Australian major general Mick Ryan said.
"It's changing formations, and it's going to have to change military doctrines and equipment everywhere."
'It's all about the cost'
In a world of multi-million-dollar weapon systems, drones are the great equaliser. The feared Iranian Shahed model used by Russia to target tanks and cities costs about $31,000. Others cost less.
The missiles used to shoot them down can cost 10 times as much.
Russia uses Iranian Shahed drones to target tanks in Ukraine.(Reuters: Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy)
"Up until recently we had to use very expensive missiles to attack these things," Mr Ryan said.
"If you're using a $100,000 or $200,000 missile to shoot down a $10,000 drone, that doesn't work for most countries."
Slinger uses sophisticated technology to achieve a blunt result. In Canberra, EOS test engineer Charlotte Capper used a joystick to follow a drone on the system's targeting screen.
A joystick is used to follow a drone on the system's targeting screen.(ABC News: Norman Hermant)
"I'm just making sure it's staying on track, it's staying armed, and when we get the signal we can fire and take down the drone," she said.
"It's very quick and easy to learn. You don't have to know much about the technology. It's easy to see what each thing does and how it does it."
Last month, Ukraine's ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko saw first-hand during testing how Slinger can bring down drones for a fraction of the cost of missiles.
"Sometimes those missiles cost millions. And you hit the drones, which cost $20,000, right? And it's all about the cost," Mr Myroshnychenko said.
"But you never know where that drone is aiming at and what exactly that drone is going to destroy."
Slinger's price tag is less than $1.55 million per system. It aims to take down drones at a cost of between $155 and $1,550 per engagement.
Drones carrying weapons are being used more frequently in conflicts.(Reuters: Lisi Niesner)
"Ukrainian cities are being attacked by drones and missiles on a daily basis. And we have been seeing these drones now for a year and a half," the Ukrainian ambassador said.
"The Slinger system provides a unique way to target moving targets, especially when we can intercept their drones."
Slingers being shipped to Ukraine
In Queanbeyan and the ACT, EOS assembles the cameras, lasers, and gimbals that make its tracking systems work. Eighty-five per cent of the component parts are sourced from Australian suppliers.
Most of the components of the Slingers are sourced in Australia.(ABC News: Norman Hermant)
The company's defence products are a direct link to its origins in the space business. EOS monitors objects as small as a 10-cent piece orbiting up to 36,000 kilometres above the Earth.
That technology translates directly into targeting fast-moving small objects - like drones.
"What we're really doing here is we're using the tracking, we're using the stabilisation algorithms we've used to develop for deep space tracking," Mr Jones said.
Matt Jones says tracking and algorithms are used to develop tracking. (ABC News: Norman Hermant)
Ten Slingers now being made in the ACT are expected to be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the year as part of a US military aid package.
A spokesperson for the Department of Defence said the Australian government was committed to delivering on its current contribution to Ukraine. But there are no current plans to add Slingers to the $710 million in Australian military assistance to Ukraine.
Mr Ryan believes Ukraine needs as many counter-drone systems as it can get to defend against the new reality of war.
"This has literally been a Cambrian explosion in the use of drones in warfare," he said.
"One of the most intense periods of innovation and adaptation in the systems that we have ever seen, and we're probably not at the end yet.
"We're probably closer to the beginning than the end."
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While much of the world's attention has become focused on Israel/Hamas war the battles in Ukraine go on and have reached a whole new level.
Australia has developed a new inexpensive weapon to destroy the newest weapon in war the drone. These ''Slinger'' systems will be headed to Ukraine in the next two months.
I could be wrong-- but before these are send doesn't the U.S, House of Representatives have to approve funding for this?
And if I'm not mistaken, aren't they currently permanently "Out to Lunch"?
no worries. the lame republican asses that can't govern in this country haven't figured out how to completely screw over our allies with the same inaction yet.
Other countries do not have to go through us to send military aid and equipment to Ukraine and Ukraine can use monies that were already sent to pay for it.
To cite but one example: what Israel desperately needs now are replacements for all the rockets their Iron Dome has fired recently. During the recent large scale terror attack by Hamas, there were a huge amounts to rockets fired from Gaza in a short time. Iron Dome fired a huge number of interceptor missiles.
IIRC the U.S. is the only country can replace this ammunition.
Although its not nearly enough, the U.S. has indeed found as way to assist Israel without need the nutcases in the House to allocate funding. (But its not enough).
Apparently the U.S, has two Iron Dome systems already in existence that the Biden administration has decided to send Israel in their hour of need-- bypassing the need to create more funding.
I just went back and looked again and it does state that this system would be part of a US military aid package, but does that mean that the US purchases them from Australia or Australia just adds it to the package.
there were a huge amounts to rockets fired from Gaza in a short time.
Which brings one observation, just how many more do they have and can they manufacture them in any significant quantity to pose a continuing threat while under attack from Israel?
They are out to lunch for sure but I believe that these ''Slingers'' were in a prior funding package.
I would hate to be the one's down range receiving all the misses while this system is trying to take down a drone.
I would hate to be the one's down range receiving all the misses while this system is trying to take down a drone.
Me too!
But nothing is 100% perfect.
Well, except perhaps for the Republicans in the House who have so quickly met the needs of our country by quickly agreeing on a House speaker so the necessary money can be appropriated to provide for our ally's (Israel and Ukraine) defense.
(If anyone doesn't realize that that was sarcasm
-- try again!)
Good! Keep em coming...
Sounds like an appropriate 'tool' for Meta articles.
IMO, we are seeing two democracies fighting for their existence. Ukraine is a very new democracy and besides fighting for its life it is also going through the growing pains of a new country/democracy. Israel is well established and is experiencing internal strife and has been continually attacked by both countries and terrorist organizations throughout its history.
IMO, we must support both of these countries to our full extent. I would rather have Ukraine and Israel as allies than some so-called countries that we call allies now.
Not many Americans have experienced what Israel and Ukraine and their people, both military and civilian are experiencing. The only ones would be combat vets and immigrants from war-torn countries to the US.