There was a ceremony on October 24, 2023, to officially welcome two MANTIS-designated 35mm stationary and mobile anti-aircraft artillery complexes into the arsenal of the 11th Air Defence Brigade in Nitra, Slovakia, as reported by the Slovakian Ministry of Defence. The relevant complexes, manufactured by the Rheinmetall Group, were imported from Germany.
February 2023 saw the signing of the agreement for Germany to transfer two MANTIS complexes to Slovakia. Instead of compensation for armaments and equipment that Slovakia had previously transferred from its armed forces to Ukraine, Germany furnished these compounds to Slovakia at no cost. Additionally, over a hundred Slovak military personnel were instructed by Germany on the MANTIS complexes.
Slovakia is provided with one command post and two target detection and tracking modules featuring optoelectronic stations and radar, in addition to six remotely controlled Revolver Gun Mounts (RGM) equipped with a single-barrel 35mm Oerlikon KDG35/1000 revolver cannon (GDF-020). Germany additionally furnished Slovakia with five low-level target detection radars in addition to these complexes.
Rheinmetall Air Defence, a subsidiary of Rheinmetall that was initially known as the Swiss company Oerlikon Contraves Defence and bought by Rheinmetall in 2000, created the MANTIS complex (Modular, Automatic, and Network-Capable Targeting and Interception System). It is essentially a semi-stationary version of the Skyshield 35 AHEAD anti-aircraft system, employing Revolver Gun Mounts (RGM) with a single-barrel 35mm Oerlikon KDG35/1000 revolver cannon firing programmable rounds at a firing rate of 1000 rounds per minute. The Skyranger self-propelled anti-aircraft system and the maritime Millennium MDG-35 anti-aircraft system both employ this system. The combat module RGM has an operational weight of 5800 kg and is vehicle transportable. The MANTIS complex, also known as MOOTW/C-RAM (Military Operations Other Than War/Counter-Rockets, Artillery, and Mortar) and Nächstbereichschutzsystem C-RAM (NBS C-RAM), was developed under a contract from the German Ministry of Defence to protect stationary facilities (military bases, etc.) from rocket and mortar attacks.
Rheinmetall was awarded a contract worth 110.8 million euros by the German Ministry of Defence in 2009 to deliver two MANTIS complexes. In addition, 20 million euros were set aside to acquire simulators and training equipment for the complexes, while 13.4 million euros were set aside to purchase ammunition. The first two RGM combat modules were delivered in early 2011 for military evaluations, and both complexes (batteries) were incorporated into the German Air Force in 2012-2013. Initially, one MANTIS complex was to be supplied to the German contingent in Afghanistan, but due to the withdrawal of that contingent in 2014, MANTIS deployment in Afghanistan did not take place. Elements of one MANTIS complex (for detection only, no fighting modules) were deployed as part of the EU contingent in Mali in late 2017. The German Air Force has now delivered both MANTIS installations to Slovakia.
