Germany to Supply Slovakia With Two MANTIS Air Defense Systems
On Friday, 10 February, Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad announced on his social media account that Germany will provide the Slovak Republic with two MANTIS (Modular, Automatic, and Network Capable Targeting and Interception System) very short-range air defense systems. According to the Minister of Defense, negotiations for the supply of MANTIS systems began in December last year during the visit of German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht to Slovakia, and a final agreement was reached last week. According to Nad, Germany donated these systems worth approximately 120 million euros on a permanent and free-of-charge basis to protect the country’s eastern border with Ukraine.
Noting that the MANTIS system purchase agreement is a recognition of Slovakia’s open support for Ukraine as well as a responsible step taken by the Alliance, Nad added that no Slovak elements were given up for this air defense system. In other words, the agreement will not take place within the scope of Germany’s Ringtausch (Multilateral exchange) concept. The defense minister did not specify when the system in question would arrive in Slovakia. The minister did, however, state that training for Slovak soldiers to use the system will begin in the coming months.
MANTIS (Modular, Automatic and Network Capable Targeting and Interception System) is a very short-range air defense system developed by Rheinmetall Air Defense, a subsidiary of Rheinmetall of Germany, to protect German Army bases of operations from the effects of missiles, artillery systems, mortar shells, and unmanned aerial vehicles. A MANTIS system consists of six 35mm automatic guns, a ground control unit, and two sensor units. The system’s sensors detect air threats fired from a distance of about 3km, and the automatic guns, which can fire 1,000 rounds per minute, neutralize the target with 35mm AHEAD ammunition. The ammunition contains 152 tungsten projectiles, each weighing 3.3g.
Header Image: The MANTIS Air Defense System developed by Rheinmetall Air Defense / From the Slovak Ministry of Defense