An Australian Slinger anti-drone system mounted on a pickup truck has been spotted operating in Ukraine.
Images showing the specialized mobile weapon station were highlighted by the Telegram channel Turned on War.
The system is manufactured by the Australian defence technology company Electro Optic Systems, which designed the unit as a compact platform for low-cost interception of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Headquartered in Canberra, Electro Optic Systems is a major developer of remote weapon stations and optical tracking systems used by military forces worldwide.
In 2023, reports confirmed that the Australian manufacturer planned to supply 160 Slinger systems to Kyiv to bolster Ukrainian air defence capabilities against tactical drones.
Advanced radar tracking and 30mm firepower
The Slinger module is mounted on a gyroscopically stabilized platform and features a 30-millimetre Bushmaster M230LF automatic cannon. The weapon system can fire specialized ammunition equipped with guided fuses to destroy small airborne threats.
The Bushmaster M230LF is a lightweight chain gun derived from helicopter autocannons, offering high rates of fire while keeping recoil low enough for installation on light tactical vehicles.
Target acquisition and tracking are handled by an integrated optical-electronic station working alongside a compact Echodyne EchoGuard radar. Echodyne EchoGuard utilizes electronically scanned array technology to detect and track low-altitude aerial targets in real time.
Electro Optic Systems states that the Slinger platform is capable of engaging and destroying a heavy hexacopter at ranges exceeding 1.5 kilometres.
Mobile air defence units mounted on commercial four-wheel-drive pickup trucks have become a key tactical response to widespread drone warfare. They allow ground forces to deploy rapid firepower to protect military convoys and key infrastructure without expending expensive surface-to-air missiles.
Russian close-range counter-drone systems
The deployment of the Australian Slinger system in Ukraine reflects the ongoing effort by both sides in the conflict to introduce specialized counter-drone technology.
State defence corporation Rostec previously announced that the Russian Armed Forces received new Zubr anti-drone systems. According to Rostec, the Zubr system is built around machine-gun combat modules designed specifically for close-range interception of enemy unmanned aircraft.
Rostec is Russia's primary state-owned defence conglomerate, overseeing hundreds of industrial facilities involved in the development, manufacturing, and export of advanced military hardware and weapons systems.
