Rheinmetall Air Defence

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

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. 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.

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.

Rheinmetall Air Defence specialises 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

• Oerlikon KAD cannon, calibre 20×139 mm
• Oerlikon KAE cannon, calibre 20×128 mm (modernised variant of KAA and KAB cannons)
• Oerlikon KBA autocanon, calibre 25×137 mm Used with: Oerlikon Searanger 25, Oerlikon Fieldranger 25, Dardo IFV, Freccia IFV, Hitfist turret, Leonardo Spallacia, Valhalla MANGART 25, ASELSAN STOP, ASELSAN NEFER,
• Oerlikon KCE autocanon, calibre 30×173 mm
• Oerlikon KDE autocanon, calibre 35×228 mm (used on Mitsubishi Type 89 IFV)

Ground-based air defence

• Radar systems
  • Oerlikon Skyguard 3
  • X-TAR3D (radar)
• Ground Based Air Defence Unit:
  • Oerlikon GDF, calibre 35×228 mm, twin cannon
  • Oerlikon MANTIS C-RAM, calibre 35×228 mm
  • Oerlikon Skyshield, calibre 35×228 mm
    • Oerlikon revolver gun Mk2
    • Oerlikon revolver gun Mk3
  • Oerlikon Skynex
    • SkyKnight C-RAM missile launcher unit
• Mobile Air Defence:
  • Oerlikon Skyranger:
    • Oerlikon Skyranger 30
    • Oerlikon Skyranger 35
    • Oerlikon Skyranger Search Radar Control Node (SRCN)
    • Oerlikon Skyranger Missile (Stinger oder äquivalent)
    • Oerlikon Skyranger Missile (Cheetah)
  • Air Defence Anti-Tank System
  • Natter Counter-UAS-System
  • High-energy laser C-RAM
• Command systems
  • Oerlikon Skymaster
  • Oerlikon Skynex

Naval systems

• Naval Gun Systems:
  • Oerlikon Natter:
    • Oerlikon Natter 7.62, calibre 7.62×51 mm NATO
    • Oerlikon Natter 12.7, calibre 12.7×99 mm NATO
  • Oerlikon Searanger:
    • Oerlikon Searanger 20, calibre 20×128 mm
    • Oerlikon Searanger 25, calibre 25×137 mm
  • Oerlikon Seasnake:
    • Oerlikon Seasnake 20, calibre 20×128 mm
    • Oerlikon Seasnake 30, calibre 30×173 mm
  • Oerlikon Millennium Naval Gun, calibre 35×228 mm
• Search and Acquisition Radar:
  • Oerlikon X-TAR3D/M
• Radar and Electro Optical Tracking Modules:
  • Oerlikon TMX/EO NT
  • Oerlikon TMX/EO Mk2
  • Oerlikon SeaVision
  • Oerlikon SeaStorm
• Command and Control:
  • Oerlikon Seaguard naval tracking system
  • Oerlikon Weapon Control Module

Weapon stations (vehicles)

• Oerlikon Fieldranger 20
• Oerlikon Fieldranger 25

Other military products

• Mosquito (missile) ATGM
• LLM01 laser light module for firearms

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. As of October 2010, Rheinmetall's website no longer lists these products as part of the Air Defence group.

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. 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. RAD has claimed that the charges against it are without merit.

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. 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. The case at present is under trial in Indian courts.