Wallop Industries Rampart/Skysnare

[Voltzz]

RAMPART is a landbased countermeasure system against IR, laser, TV and radar guided missiles. The system also has a feature against low flying aircraft. The system consists of a number of firing units which can be spread out up to 15 km. The firing units are activated by radio
from a central transmitter. The firing units are equipped with rocket decoys for chaff and IR, smoke (both rapid and slow burning) and the Skysnare airborne obstruction. Skysnare is an airborne tethered obstruction that is placed around the target to cause weapon aiming problems for low flying aircraft. The idea behind the obstructions is to force the aircraft to climb to higher altitudes where it will be exposed by active air defense systems.

Source

A complete Rampart system is inexpensive, requires a minimum of personnel and is at immediate readiness for action at all times. It provides protection against manned aircraft, laser and TV guided missiles by the rapid emission of smoke; and against aircraft and missile radars by chaff decoys. It also offers a unique defence against low level aircraft attack by the quick release of a mass of ‘Skysnare’ airborne tethered obstacles which provide a formidable obstruction and which can remain aloft indefinitely. A series of Skysnare balloons is placed around a target area and, because of
the kite-like design, will hold station even in the lightest wind. Attacking aircraft will be caused severe weapon aiming and delivery problems and will be forced to climb to an altitude which will expose them to active defence systems. ‘Skynet’ is a larger balloon reaching its deployment height of 1000 m in six minutes. It can be deployed further and higher from the defended area than ‘Skysnare’, precluding terrain masking by the attacker during his approach.

Firing stations are portable, and can be solar-powered if appropriate, each capable of firing rocket decoys (chaff or infra-red), smoke, and Skynet and Skysnare obstructions. Rapid or slow burning smoke is available to give both immediate area coverage and sustained coverage thereafter. The Skysnare system consists of a balloon, 100 m of Kevlar cable, case, ground anchor, a gas cylinder and pyrotechnic inflation and release. It is at continuous readiness and can be fully deployed within two minutes of initiation by radio signal. The whole system creates an effective deterrent in less than 40 seconds.

A MK II version is now available designed to meet NATO requirements. This version can be mobile and has a new infra-red screening smoke back-up to complement the existing decoy features.

The system has been further enhanced by the incorporation of a Large Area Smoke Screening system (LASS) which is fully automatic and, in response to commands from the Rampart control unit, will generate smoke to counter visual or infra-red sensors for up to 90 minutes.

Jane's Radar & Electronic Warfare Systems 1993-94

 

[Voltzz]

Aerial barriers are also cheap and durable. Wallop Industries of Great Britain has developed a balloon called the Skysnare and a barrage of six costs approximately $18,000. Maintenance and training are equally inexpensive, and the only “fuel" for the system would be the helium or hydrogen gas to lift the balloon. Considering the price tag of modern weapon systems and ammunition, the cost-effectiveness of the balloon is impressive. Furthermore, the balloon is just as durable as it is affordable. Consisting of a cable, a single-ply plastic envelope, and a winch, the system is extremely robust and can remain airborne for up to two weeks per inflation. The 4-mm Kevlar cable gives the Skysnare system extraordinary strength and destructive power should an aircraft strike the cable.

Source

Wallop Industries has improved its tethered anti-aircraft balloon which can be used either alone or as part of the company’s Rampart system, to provide passive defense against low-flying aircraft. Rampart also includes smoke generators and chaff/IR decoy launchers. Called Skynet, the new balloon can be deployed to a height of about 1,000m in less than 4min (its predecessor,
Skysnare 2, had a maximum altitude of only about 300m). Like the Skysnare 2, Skynet has a Kevlar tethering cable designed to severely damage low-flying aircraft. Originally developed for a Middle Eastern state, Rampart is now in service in several countries.

International Defense Review 5/1987

The latest upgrade to the basic Rampart system has been the inclusion of a SAM simulator which mimics the visual characteristics of a surface-to-air missile. This is intended to force an attacking aircraft to take evasive action, thus disrupting its sortie and possibly forcing it into the engagement envelopes of defensive SAMs and antiaircraft guns. Update kits are available to purchasers of earlier systems.
[...]
Rampart was first officially announced in 1983, with production orders following from an unidentified Middle Eastern customer, possibly Jordan. Another order worth approximately UK£2 million came in 1986 or early 1987 from an unidentified Air Force in the Far East, to use the system for airfield protection.
[...]
Wallop has been exceptionally cautious in releasing information on the users of Rampart, although Jordan and Thailand have both been suggested as users, with other possibilities including the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The discretion with which Wallop treats its sales and the nature of the system makes it difficult to find a basis on which to assess a unit production forecast.
Discussions with Wallop have disclosed that, contrary to all reasonable expectations, sales of Rampart have fallen far short of hopes. The forecast relates to final quantities of munitions sets delivered to support existing systems. In view of the apparent lack of success of the system, this report will be discontinued in a future supplement.

Forecast International (attached pdf)

 

[Dilandu]

Good idea for 80s, but in modern days, with GPS and millimeter-wave radar guidance, it became much less efficient.

 

[A Tentative Fleet Plan]

Good idea for 80s, but in modern days, with GPS and millimeter-wave radar guidance, it became much less efficient.

Not to mention the shift to from low to medium-altitude.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Not to mention the shift to from low to medium-altitude.

It may still be useful against cruise missiles and maybe some drones.

 

[BB1984]

I'm assuming the operational concept is to use this to protect high value targets, and there the value of countermeasures to defeat terminal homing of missiles / smart-bombs / drones / whatever still applies. Today you'd add a GPS jamming system to the mix (not cheap but not expendable either) but it would be an interesting supplement to hard kill CRAM systems.

 

[A Tentative Fleet Plan]

Chaff cut to X- and Ku-Band wavelengths would also be useful.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Chaff cut to X- and Ku-Band wavelengths would also be useful.

I'd include chaff for MMWR, too, but yes, X- and Ku-band are IIRC the primary SAR/GMTI frequencies (IIRC). and maybe TFR.

 

[A Tentative Fleet Plan]

I'd include chaff for MMWR, too, but yes, X- and Ku-band are IIRC the primary SAR/GMTI frequencies (IIRC). and maybe TFR.

I was thinking mmWave to counter modern weapons like Brimstone or GBU-53, and X-Band to counter radars commonly used by aircraft, I just got one of the radar bands wrong.