Germany to buy mobile anti‑drone Skyranger systems from Rheinmetall

The German Defence Ministry will order Rheinmetall’s mobile Skyranger systems to fill an air‑defence gap created by the retirement of Gepard vehicles. 

The government plans to order more than 600 Skyranger 30 units from Düsseldorf‑based Rheinmetall before the end of this year, in a deal valued at over €9 billion with deliveries scheduled through 2030, Caliber.Az reports via German newspaper Handelsblatt. 

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius stated last week that several hundred Skyranger systems are planned for procurement in the coming months, although only 19 vehicles have been ordered so far, and the first batch was initially expected by the end of 2024.

The delay is linked to Rheinmetall prioritising shipments to Ukraine, which is defending itself against Russian aggression. 

Rheinmetall’s Skyranger is designed to counter low-altitude aerial threats, using a gun that fires air-burst munitions at approximately 1,250 rounds per minute.

Those munitions detonate in front of or above a target, enabling the system to defeat drones at ranges of up to three kilometres.

By Jeyhun Aghazada