Rheinmetall Air Defence Explained

Rheinmetall Air Defence AG is a division of German armament manufacturer Rheinmetall, created when the company's Oerlikon Contraves unit was renamed on 1 January 2009 and integrated with Rheinmetall's other air-defence products.[1] Oerlikon Contraves was a Swiss anti-aircraft artillery manufacturer famous for its adaptation of the 1916 20 mm Becker as the Oerlikon 20 mm autocannon design, which was used in the Second World War and remains in use. Copies and derivatives of these designs were made by German, French, British, and Japanese weapon manufacturers. Oerlikon Contraves was purchased by Rheinmetall in 1999.[2], Rheinmetall Air Defence had around 1,050 employees at locations in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and Canada. The group's sales were about .[1]

History

Oerlikon's earliest predecessor was Schweizerische Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon, founded in the Oerlikon district of Zürich, Switzerland in 1906.[3]

In 1923 it acquired a factory in Germany. It entered the anti-aircraft defence field in 1924. In 1936, it founded a purely anti-aircraft development company called Contraves (contra aves is Latin for "against birds", better translated as "anti-flying-objects") In 1989, the Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon-Bührle and Contraves merged to form the Oerlikon-Contraves Group, later renamed Oerlikon Contraves Defence.[4] Oerlikon Contraves was purchased by Rheinmetall, a German armament manufacturer, in 1999, and renamed Rheinmetall Air Defence AG on 1 January 2009.

Historic products

American versions of the Oerlikon 20 mm cannon, such as the Mk 4, Mk 10, and Mk 24, were used extensively from World War II to the Vietnam War. As anti-aircraft weapons used by the US Navy, they were frequently the last line of defence against kamikaze attacks. Most combat ships from aircraft carriers to PT boats were equipped with Oerlikon guns. During the Vietnam War they were widely employed by riverine forces as anti-personnel weapons. They remained in service until the 1970s, when they were replaced by the Mk 16 20 mm cannon.[5]

Oerlikon also developed the following surface-to-air missiles: the RSA Missile, the RSD 58, and the Kriens RSC Missile.Oerlikons 20mm cannon was frequently used on Naval Ships throughout the 1920s, 30s and 40s.

Products

Rheinmetall Air Defence specializes in ground-based and naval air defence. Their products include search-and-tracking sensors, 35 mm air-defence guns, command-and-control posts, battle management and ship-based combat systems.

Medium calliber weapons

Ground-based air defence

Naval systems

Weapon stations (vehicles)

Other military products

Civilian products

Oerlikon Contraves subsidiary Oerlikon Transtec manufactured railcar and locomotive systems, including locomotive brakes, subway and electric train power conversion systems, and other subsidiary systems for mass-transit vehicles.[19], Rheinmetall's website no longer lists these products as part of the Air Defence group.[20]

Corruption charges

Rheinmetall Air Defence (RAD) is one of six companies that were blacklisted by India's Ministry of Defence in March 2012 for their involvement in a bribery scandal.[21] The companies are accused of bribing the Director General of Ordnance Factories Board (OFB), Sudipta Ghosh. RAD and the other firms have been barred from any dealings with the OFB and all other Indian defence companies, as well as being blacklisted from participating in any Indian defence contract, for a period of 10 years.[22] RAD has claimed that the charges against it are without merit.[23]

Rheinmetall Air Defence was implicated in a corruption case in India along with arms dealer Abhishek Verma and his wife Anca Verma lodged by anti-corruption agency of India, the CBI in 2012 for bribing defence officials for securing multi billion dollar weapons contracts of the Indian military establishment.[24] [25] RAD Chairman Bodo Garbe and General Manager Gerhard Hoy were issued summons of the Indian courts. Subsequently a red-corner notice was issued for their detention through Interpol.[26] The case at present is under trial in Indian courts.[27]

See also

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Rheinmetall. 27 January 2009. Rheinmetall Air Defence: the new name of air defence specialist Oerlikon Contraves. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101128050009/http://rheinmetall-defence.com/index.php?lang=3&fid=5014. 28 November 2010. dmy-all.
  2. News: Rheinmetall unit Oerlikon Contraves to appeal Unaxis' name change. 18 September 2006. Forbes. AFX News Limited. 2 October 2010.
  3. Web site: Historical Milestones. Oerlikon Corporate Website. OC Oerlikon Management. Pfäffikon, Switzerland. 2 October 2010.
  4. Web site: Complaint: Khulumani et al. v. Barclays National Bank Ltd et al.. Bryks. Jacqueline E.. Hausfeld. Michael D.. Abrahams. Charles Peter. Kerrigan. Robert G.. Fisher. Barry A.. DomCLIC Project: South African Apartheid Litigation. The Hague Justice Portal. 11 November 2002. 2 October 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110930183439/http://www.haguejusticeportal.net/Docs/NLP/US/Khulumani_Complaint_11-11-2002.pdf. 30 September 2011. dmy-all.
  5. Web site: Switzerland Oerlikon 20 mm/70 (0.79") Mark 1 / United States of America 20 mm/70 (0.79") Marks 2, 3 & 4 / Britain 20 mm/70 (0.79") Mark I and Mark II. 14 January 2011. NavWeaps.Com. 24 September 2011.
  6. https://www.rheinmetall.com/Rheinmetall%20Group/brochure-download/Air-Defence/D675e0222-Oerlikon-Cannon-20mm-KAE.pdf
  7. Web site: Rheinmetall . 2024-08-27 . Rheinmetall . en.
  8. Web site: Rheinmetall Air Defence . 2024-08-27 . Airforce Technology . en-US.
  9. https://www.rheinmetall.com/Rheinmetall%20Group/brochure-download/Air-Defence/D712e0222-Oerlikon-Revolver-Gun-Mk3.pdf
  10. Web site: Rheinmetall . 2024-08-27 . Rheinmetall . de.
  11. Web site: Rheinmetall . 2024-08-27 . Rheinmetall . de.
  12. Web site: 2024-08-27 . Rheinmetall will Waffenstation Natter für neue Drohnenabwehrlösung nutzen . 2024-08-27 . de-DE.
  13. Web site: 2011-11-22 . Rheinmetall: successful target engagement with high-energy laser weapons . 2024-08-27 . www.pressebox.com . en-US.
  14. Web site: Rheinmetall . 2024-08-27 . Rheinmetall . de.
  15. Web site: Rheinmetall . 2024-08-27 . Rheinmetall . de.
  16. Web site: Rheinmetall .
  17. Web site: Rheinmetall . 2024-08-27 . Rheinmetall . en.
  18. https://www.rheinmetall.com/Rheinmetall%20Group/brochure-download/Weapon-Ammmunition/B226e0620-Rheinmetall-Leadership-in-cannon-design-medium-calibre-portfolio.pdf
  19. Web site: Oerlikon Transtec Inc.. Directory51.com. 2 October 2010.
  20. Web site: Rheinmetall Air Defence AG. Rheinmetall Defence. 2010. 2 October 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101005133922/http://rheinmetall-defence.com/index.php?fid=619&lang=3. 5 October 2010. dmy-all.
  21. News: Bribery scandal: Defence ministry blacklists six companies. https://archive.today/20130103102757/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-05/india/31123453_1_defence-ministry-charge-sheet-blacklisted . live . 3 January 2013 . 5 March 2012. . 8 June 2012.
  22. News: India blacklists defense companies. United Press International. 7 March 2012. 8 June 2012.
  23. News: Rheinmetall Air Defence AG cries foul over blacklisting. SP's Land Forces.net. 23 March 2012. 8 June 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120924000516/http://spslandforces.net/exclusive/?id=19&h=Rheinmetall-Air-Defence-AG-cries-foul-over-blacklisting. 24 September 2012. dmy-all.
  24. Web site: CBI charges Abhishek Verma, Rheinmetall official with bribery. https://web.archive.org/web/20160819033028/http://in.reuters.com/article/rheinmetall-abhishek-verma-bribe-idINDEE95604T20130607. dead. 19 August 2016. en-IN. 2016-08-07.
  25. News: Abhishek Verma was promised $5m by Rheinmetall Air Defence to remove its name from govt's blacklist - Times of India. . 23 June 2012 . 2016-08-07.
  26. Web site: CBI to push for red corner notice against top Rheinmetall executive. 2014-06-06. 2016-08-07.
  27. News: Swiss authorities refuse to share information on Abhishek Verma - The Economic Times. The Economic Times . 31 August 2015 . 2016-08-07.

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