To protect against Russian drones, Ukraine will soon receive “Skyranger“ (Skyranger) - new German short-range complexes manufactured by the defense concern “Rheinmetall“. The head of the concern Armin Paperger told the public television ZDF that the first systems will arrive in Ukraine this year.
Thus, for the second time since the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, Kiev will receive modern air defense (ADF) systems from Germany, even before they have been put into service with the Bundeswehr. Earlier, this already happened with the IRIS-T medium- and short-range air defense complexes. In addition, Germany is supplying Ukraine with the “Gepard” anti-aircraft systems that are being phased out in the Bundeswehr, as well as the American “Patriot” complexes. Berlin has chosen air defense as the main priority in the supply of weapons to Ukraine.
"Drone killer": what is known about Skyranger
Skyranger is a new system, the development of which by "Rheinmetall" began back in 2018. It unites a family of mobile air defense complexes that can be used both to support ground forces and to protect stationary objects. In some media it is called the "drone killer".
The main component is a turret with an anti-aircraft revolver gun, which can be mounted on six-wheeled vehicles, as well as on eight-wheeled or tracked armored vehicles. The gun was developed at the Rheinmetall plant in Zurich, Switzerland, and can be of 30 mm and 35 mm caliber. The range is three and four kilometers, respectively, according to the manufacturer. In addition to anti-aircraft shells, missiles can also be used.
It is not known what modification will be delivered to Ukraine. The Soldat und Technik portal reported that earlier the Ukrainian side expressed interest in the Skyranger system, mounted on the Leopard-1 tank platform. Rheinmetall first showed this model in 2024. One of the advantages of this combination - a modern turret and an old tank - is its low price and availability in warehouses, which means fast deliveries. Ukraine has already received dozens of restored Leopard-1 tanks from Germany and other partners.
The Skyranger is designed primarily to defend against unmanned aerial vehicles. As Rheinmetall states in its description, it can be used against all types of "modern and future aerial threats," including drone strikes, dive bombers, and drone swarms.
How does the Skyranger differ from the Cheetah?
To protect against unmanned aircraft, Ukraine currently uses, among other things, German Cheetah anti-aircraft systems with 35-mm cannons, decommissioned from the Bundeswehr but completely refurbished. Dozens of such machines were delivered to Kiev.
“Although the “Gepard“ is used very successfully in Ukraine, the “Skyranger“ is, of course, at a more modern technological level and has greater capabilities“, Niklas Schörnig, a military expert at the Leibniz Institute for Peace and Conflict Research (PRIF) in Frankfurt am Main, told DW. “First of all, it is about the use of ammunition that explodes in the air (air burst munition) - they create a cloud of metal, which significantly increases the effectiveness of attacks by swarms of drones“.
According to the expert, the radar has also been improved, it has become more resistant to the effects of electronic warfare, and the modular system allows the complex to be installed on various mobile platforms. Since the system is new, with a higher level of automation, it is possible that some "childhood diseases" may appear, which have already been overcome with the "Cheetah", Schörnig also points out.
Deliveries to the Bundeswehr are delayed
Meanwhile, the German Bundeswehr will have to wait longer for the "Skyranger" than expected. In February 2024, the Bundestag approved the order for the first batch of 18 complexes and one prototype, worth a total of 650 million euros. The first "Skyrangers" were expected to be delivered in 2026. Now, specialized websites report that deliveries are expected by 2028.
Against the backdrop of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine and the potential threat to NATO's eastern flank, the German army urgently needs new short-range anti-aircraft systems. The "Gepard" installations were decommissioned in 2010, and the army's air defense units were completely disbanded in 2012. Now they are being re-established, and the "Skyranger" should become their main type of armament.
There are also orders from other countries - Austria and Denmark. Hungary has signed a contract to develop a variant of the “Skyranger“ for a future air defense system on the Lynx tracked armored vehicle platform.
Author: Roman Goncharenko