Talks to Watch

Rheinmetall Air Defence: Ahead - Highly effective, programmable ammunition

17.2M views · Aug 14, 2020 · 1:02 · 0 HN recommenders · 3 mentions · discussed 2021–2025

A one-minute Rheinmetall promotional demo of Oerlikon Ahead air burst ammunition, which throws a cloud of sub-projectiles to destroy small air targets.

Why Hacker News points people here: HN cites it as an example of programmable airburst ammunition used against drones and fast aircraft.

What Hacker News said 3

Cites itimtringuedJun 2021

“Can your drone instantaneously change direction at the speed of an explosion?”

Programmable airburst ammunition demo against fast targets.

Full comment

How do you "dodge" airburst ammunition? Can your drone instantaneously change direction at the speed of an explosion? What the hell am I reading here? this video Edit: Look they even made a smaller system! link

in “To protect against weaponized drones, we must understand their key strengths” · view on HN
Cites itsaiya-jinSep 2023

“every round is primed to detonate at exact altitude/flight duration.”

Example of automated AA guns with programmable airburst rounds.

Full comment

There are some automated AA guns (Oerlikon or Rheinmetall IIRC) who lock with combination of radar and visual, or just one of those. No locking missiles, just good old ammunition and 21st century computing power. Well not precisely, every round is primed to detonate at exact altitude/flight duration. Put a hundred rounds in few seconds (so 5-10k projectiles) on the sky where the plane will be in 3 seconds, they will create basically impenetrable cloud and yes you can quite easily shoot down F35 flying during day flying low enough just by visual lock. One example: this video

in “US Military Asks for Help Locating Missing F-35 Fighter Jet” · view on HN
Cites itBeijingerSep 2025

“You use fancy AHEAD ammunition that disintegrates, and hopefully the drone with it.”

Demonstrates AHEAD ammunition against drones, though costly.

Full comment

? You would not be able to hit a drone with a bullet. Statistics are against you. You use fancy AHEAD ammunition that disintegrates, and hopefully the drone with it. link Yet, the bursts fired are expensive as fuck. Much more expensive than the drone. Here you go: this video

in “High-power microwave defeats drone swarm” · view on HN