German armed forces to get Skyranger 30 mobile air defense system for $644 million

Europe, News February 29, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) has awarded defense manufacturer Rheinmetall a €595 million ($644 million) contract to supply the Skyranger 30 mobile air defense system.

According to the Rheinmetall statement, “The contract encompasses delivery of a prototype and another 18 series production vehicles. In addition, an option exists for a further 30 systems. The prototype is to be delivered by the end of 2024.”

The Skyranger 30 system can effectively counter short- and very short-range threats. It is an optimum combination of mobility, protection, flexibility, and precision. The system’s turret integrates the highly effective 30mm x 173 KCE revolver gun, surface-to-air missiles, and the necessary sensor suite, all on one platform.

The Skyranger air defense systems for the German armed forces will be equipped with Stinger missiles. The system can be armed with various modern guided missiles such as the Stinger, Mistral, or C-UAS missiles.

The compact turret of the system is integrated into an 8×8 Boxer wheeled armored vehicle. The Rheinmetall statement highlighted that the state-of-the-art sensors, large elevation span, and high mobility enable autonomous and networked operations as well as make it “especially effective against drones”.

“The Skyranger 30 is embedded in the German government’s European Sky Shield Initiative, in which Germany, acting within a NATO context, has assumed the role of lead nation in ground-based air defense in Europe,” it added.

The Rheinmetall describes the Skyranger mobile ground-based air defense system as the best solution for current and future battlefield air threats. The company highlighted that the system is equipped with “state-of-the-art search and tracking sensors which provide seamless 360° air and ground surveillance and accurate fire control data. The integrated 35 mm Oerlikon Revolver Gun provides ultimate firepower and precision.”

Last week Austria ordered 36 Skyranger 30 defense systems for Pandur wheeled armored vehicles. In December 2023, Hungary awarded Rheinmetall to develop a concept for a Skyranger 30 turret for the future air defense variant of the Lynx KF41 tracked armored vehicle.

Other NATO and EU countries have also expressed interest in procuring the German air defense system. According to Rheinmetall, Denmark is planning to buy the Skyranger 30 system in combination with another wheeled armored vehicle, while Lithuania is also exploring the Boxer-mounted Skyranger 30 system.

In December 2023, Skyranger’s functional demonstrator version successfully conducted live-fire field tests in both stationary and on-the-move modes at the Group’s proving ground in Ochsenboden, Switzerland. According to Rheinmetall, the tests provided important new findings to make “fabrication and integration of the German verification model faster and less risk prone”.