Rheinmetall Air Defence: Ahead - Highly effective, programmable ammunition
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN cites it as an example of programmable airburst ammunition used against drones and fast aircraft.
What it is
A one-minute Rheinmetall promotional demo of Oerlikon Ahead air burst ammunition, which throws a cloud of sub-projectiles to destroy small air targets.
Recommended by 0 HN commenters across 0 different months, 2021 to 2025.
What Hacker News said
Cites imtringued · 2021-06 · on “To protect against weaponized drones, we must understand their key strengths”
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]
Cites saiya-jin · 2023-09 · on “US Military Asks for Help Locating Missing F-35 Fighter Jet”
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]
Cites Beijinger · 2025-09 · on “High-power microwave defeats drone swarm”
? 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]