Bundeswehr orders Skyranger 30 mounted on Boxer

The Bundeswehr has ordered Skyranger 30 air-defence systems mounted on Boxers, Rheinmetall announced on 27 February 2024. (Rheinmetall)

The Bundeswehr has ordered Skyranger 30 air-defence systems mounted on Boxer armoured vehicles, Rheinmetall announced in a press release on 27 February. Under the EUR595 million (USD644.8 million) worth of contract, the prototype will be delivered at the end of 2024, followed by 18 production vehicles, with an option for 30 more.

According to the German company, the Skyranger 30 will be a key component of the Bundeswehr's Nah- und Nächstbereichsschutz (short- and very-short-range air defence: NNbS), for which a Rheinmetall Electronics, Diehl Defence, and Hensoldt Sensors Arbeitsgemeinschaft (ARGE) working group was awarded a contract in January. The turret will be equipped with a 30×173 mm KCE revolver gun firing programmable airburst munition, two Stinger surface-to-air missiles, and a sensor suite.

The Bundeswehr's Skyranger 30 order follows one from the Bundesheer (Austrian Armed Forces) on 21 February for 36 Skyranger turrets, with an option for nine more for Pandur Evolution (EVO) 6×6 armoured vehicles that Austria ordered from General Dynamics European Land Systems-Steyr (GDELS-Steyr) on 19 February.

Rheinmetall unveiled the Skyranger 30 to the defence media in March 2021. The system is housed in a 2–2.5 tonne turret, allowing it to be carried by lighter vehicles than the 4–4.5 tonne Skyranger 35 turret the company first presented in 2004.