MANTIS is a very short-range air defence protection system developed for protecting the forward-operating
bases of the German Army in Afghanistan.
Formerly known as NBS C-RAM (counter-rocket, artillery and mortar), the 35mm fully automated
air defence system has been developed by Rheinmetall Air Defence for the German Bundeswehr.
The NBS MANTIS short-range force protection system will detect, track and shoot the projectiles
within a close range of the target base.
The German Army will be the first military in the world to possess such defence against
aerial threats.
The MANTIS represents an important part of the Bundeswehr army's comprehensive future
SysFla air-defence programme.
In May 2009, the German Government ordered two NBS systems for Bundeswehr from Rheinmetall.
The value of the contract is €110.8m.
Rheinmetall also has an option for documentation and training services of about €20m.
The company will also supply the ammunition for the protection systems under a follow-on
contract worth around €13.4m.
The delivery of the NBS MANTIS systems to the German Army was in 2011 and further batches
are also being planned.
The NBS MANTIS was developed in 12 months on behalf of the German Federal Office of
Defence Technology and Procurement.
It was successfully live fire tested in real-time operating conditions in Turkey in summer 2008.
The MANTIS is specifically designed to defend the forward-operating bases and protect other
vulnerable military installations from rocket, artillery and mortar attacks.
The NBS MANTIS is equipped with six 35mm automatic guns, two sensor units and a central command
ground-control unit.
The sensor system comprises of radar, effectors and electro-optical sensors installed on the
base perimeter.
The MANTIS protection system is totally automated and operates 24/7.
A radar sensor in the control system recognises missiles fired onto a base from about 3 km.
The automatic process enables the guns to fire on the threat instantly in the calculated
flight path.
The guns are capable of firing 1,000 rounds per minute.
The firing of the guns is based on mission-specific programmable and air burst advanced hit efficiency
and destruction ammunition, a technology developed by Rheinmetall Weapons and Munitions, formerly
Oerlikon Contraves Pyrotec.
The ammunition has a payload of 152 tungsten projectiles, weighing 3.3g each.
The advanced hit efficiency and destruction technology enables the air defence gun's capability
to track and destroy the aerial targets.
The MANTIS gun fires 24 round burst, high-velocity advanced hit efficiency and destruction rounds
at the target's intercept point.
The projectiles from the gun are programmed through a muzzle-based electromagnetic inductor.
The technology activates and separates the projectiles into 152 heavy tungsten metal
spin-stabilised sub-projectiles as per an electronic timer.
The sub-projectiles of 3.3g each form a lethal cone-shaped metal cloud in the flight path
of the incoming target.
The response time for the system to detect and fire the target is expected to be 4.5
seconds.
MANTIS' control system is also capable of tracking the location of the assailants along
with the flight path and point of impact.
The high-performance 35mm revolver gun with advanced hit efficiency and destruction air-burst
ammunition can also be integrated in several air defence systems, including the Skyshield.
The guns have been employed in successful operations in NATO countries since 1996.