Following the end of the Cold War, most Western land forces divested their mobile air defense assets. This caused a gap to appear which would leave them vulnerable as air threats returned in the early 21st century, as demonstrated during conflicts such as the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. To address this, Rheinmetall Air Defence developed the Skyranger 30 concept demonstrator and publicly displayed it in March 2021.[1]
In December 2023, the Skyranger 30A1 development testbed was tested in live-fire exercises at the Ochsenboden proving ground in stationary and mobile modes. Total system qualification of the Skyranger 30A3 version is expected in mid-2024.[3]
Design
A cutaway photo of a 30 mm ABM round, showing the tungsten cylinders inside
The Skyranger 30 follows the same general configuration as the Skyranger 35, a remote turret with a 1.414 m-diameter turret ring, but with less weight of 2-2.5 tonnes enabling it to be installed on lighter 6×6 wheeled vehicles.[1][2][4] The system is designed to both be operated autonomously and in networked operations.[5][6]
Armaments
Cannon
It is fitted with a modified version of the Oerlikon KCA 30 mm cannon used on the Saab 37 Viggen fighter jet named the KCE. While it has a shorter effective range than the Skyranger 35 at 3 km, it has a higher rate of fire of 1,250 rounds per minute. It maintains the ability to elevate 85° to combat terminal diving targets.
Ammunition
The ammunition fired by the KCE cannon have a 30×173 mm calibre, and are of the airburst type with a time fuze.The turret carries 300 ready rounds[7] which are based on the 35 mm AHEAD ammunition.[1][2][4]
PMC308: this ammunition has 162 tungsten cylinders subprojectiles, they are the ones used on the Puma IFV. The ammunition carries a total of 201 grams of tungsten projectiles.[8][9]
A new ammunition with around 500 tungsten cylinders for the same total weight is being developed under the name PMC455.[8][7]
The latest version of the Skyranger 30 turret with SADM missiles. It has only three AESA radar panels for 360° coverage.
Missiles
Due to the system's reduced weight, the Skyranger 30 turret is able to integrate very short range missiles. Several options exist:
In August 2023, MBDA presented a four-missile launcher mockup for Mistral missiles for the Skyranger 30, double the capacity compared to the original concept.[10]
Hensoldt offers the SPEXER 2000M 3D MkIII X-band radar for the Skyranger 30 turret. It was selected for the Austrian and the German ones,[15] as well as for the Hungarian and Danish Skyrangers.[16] The latest version of the turret shown at the ILA 2024 Exhibition has only three flat antennas for 360° coverage. This suggest that it is already equipped with tha SPEXER radar, of which each antenna has 120° coverage, unlike the Rheinmetall's own AMMR radar of which each antenna has 90° coverage only. There is a smaller flat antenna on the front of the turret, presumably for target tracking. The SPEXER 2000M 3D MkIII radar's detection ranges: Light aircraft (3.0 m2 RCS): 27 km; Low-level helicopter (5.0 m2 RCS): 36 km; UAV (0.2 m2 RCS): 9 km,[17] Micro-UAV: 6 km.[18]
One of the option of the Skyranger 30 uses the S-bandAESA Multi-Mission Radar (AMMR) developed by Rheinmetall Italia. The first shown prototype turret hade five flat antennas integrated around the turret provide full 360° coverage, although four would be enough as they each have 90° field of view. The AMMR has a detection range of over 20 km for a 1 m2RCS aircraft, 12 km against hovering helicopters, 10 km against missiles, and 5 km against RAM targets and micro-UAS.[1][19]
Passive sensors
For passive detection, it is installed with Rheinmetall's FIRST (Fast InfraRed Search and Track), which is optimized to detect pop-up targets such as helicopters. Identification and tracking is handled by a compact target tracker that includes one HD cooled MWIR thermal camera, one full-HD TV camera, and two laser rangefinders, one devoted to air targets and the other for land targets.[1][19]
Protection
The turret features a central armored structure with basic Level 2 protection, which can be fitted with add-on armor to increase to Level 4.[1][2][4]
Additional features include two ROSY (Rapid Obscuring System) launchers each with nine multi-spectral smoke grenades, a hatch in the hull ceiling for the vehicle commander to view the battlefield from outside, and a coaxial machine gun fitted on the left of the main gun for use as a self-defence weapon.[1][2][4] According to the released photos, both the hatch and the coaxial machine gun was omitted from the final production version of the turret.[8]
Platforms
Future variants
Boxer: The German Army ordered 19 systems based on the Boxer.
KF-41 Lynx: Hungary signed a contract with Rheinmetall in December 2023 to develop the Skyranger 30 based on the tracked platform.[20]
Pandur 6×6: The Austrian Amy ordered 36 Skyranger 30 in February 2024 with an option for 9 additional systems.[21]
Piranha V: The Danish Army selected the Skyranger 30 system, and will equip it on their 8×8. During trials in Switzerland, Rheinmetall presented the variant on the Piranha V.[22]
Potential variants
M5 Ripsaw UGV: Rheinmetall presented a mock-up of the Skyranger turret on a Ripsaw unmanned vehicle in October 2023.[23]
Additional add-ons are under consideration, including electronic warfare systems in the form of passive emitter locators to pick up UAV data link signals, as well as RF-jammers to jam such links to neutralize UAVs without using kinetic effectors.[1]
High-energy laser
In late 2021, Rheinmetall unveiled the Skyranger 30 high-energy laser (HEL), intended to increase the system's ability to neutralize small targets at greater range and lower cost. The initial power level is 20 kW, with an immediate goal to increase it to 50 kW and an ideal goal of 100 kW.[25][26]
Operators
Future operators
Pandur EVO Skyranger 30 prototype of the Austrian Armed Forces
The Austrian Armed Forces signed a contract in February 2024 for 36 systems mounted on Pandur EVO vehicles. The short-range air defense system will be delivered from 2026 and the turrets will be equipped with Mistral missiles.[27][28] The order includes also an option for 9 additional systems.[29] The turret of the Austrian version is one ton lighter than the standard turret and carries only two missiles due to the lower load capacity 6x6 chassis.[30]
The German Army ordered 19 systems on GTK Boxer vehicles for €595 million in February 2024 and 30 more are planned. They will be armed with Stinger missiles.[33][34]
The first 19 systems package includes the first prototype and 18 production vehicles.[35]
The government of Hungary signed a MoU in 2021 about developing a Lynx-based air defense vehicle, using the Skyranger 30 turrets with Mistral missiles.[2][36] Rheinmetall receives development order from Hungary for Skyranger 30 turret for the future Lynx KF41. Value of the order 30 million EUR and it covers the integration of the Mistral missiles as well.[37] Colonel-General Gábor Böröndi, Chief of the General Staff of the Hungarian Armed Forces, said in a late 2023 interview: "We are also planning to purchase the SkyRanger system, which is suitable for destroying aerial targets and drones. We are developing it together with the Germans and the Danes, it will be ready and adopted within a year or two."[38] This means that the Hungarian Armed Forces should receive their first Skyrangers in 2025 or 2026.
According to unconfirmed press reports, Hungary plans to purchase 18 Skyranger 30 air defense vehicles.[39]
The US Armed Forces are looking for an anti-air cannon system, and Rheinmetall offered the Skyranger 30 in August 2024.[41] The offer includes the opportunity to manufacture it locally in collaboration with Lockheed Martin.
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