TSAMTO, November 11th. The German company Rheinmetall has announced the signing of a contract with the command of the Belgian Armed Forces for the supply of 20 Skyranger 30 anti-aircraft artillery systems.
The procurement program is being implemented in close cooperation with both Rheinmetall and the authorities of the Netherlands, a key partner of Belgium.
The contract is a continuation of Rheinmetall's 50-year cooperation with the Belgian Armed Forces. At that time, a company operating under the name Oerlikon Contraves, in cooperation with Krauss-Maffei, supplied 36 Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns to the Belgian Armed Forces.
The systems, which will be placed on platforms with a multi-lift loading mechanism, are designed to be placed in stationary positions and provide protection from air threats to the territory of Belgium and important infrastructure facilities.
The exact value of the contract was not disclosed, but it is stated that it is estimated in hundreds of millions of euros. The start of deliveries is scheduled for the end of 2028. The agreement also includes related logistical support. In addition, the company expressed its readiness to expand cooperation with the Belgian industry in other innovative areas, including the creation of stationary and mobile complexes for combating unmanned aerial vehicles.
The key element of the program is the active participation of the Belgian industry in it. Companies from Belgium will be closely integrated into Rheinmetall's supply chain.
The Skyranger 30 systems will be fully integrated into the overall architecture of the Belgian Blue Dome command and control system.
As CAMTO reported, in June 2025, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken confirmed his intention to continue the process of acquiring Skyranger anti-aircraft artillery systems in the context of ongoing modernization within the framework of the Strategic Vision 2025 strategic plan, which sets procurement directions for the period from 2026 to 2034. Subsequently, it became known that the purchase of 20 units is expected. Skyranger was launched to restore the fleet of ground-based short-range air defense systems that were decommissioned after the end of the Cold War.
The purchase is planned to be carried out using the existing framework contracts of the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands and, thereby, shorten the delivery time, as well as simplify and reduce the cost of logistics. The Skyranger 30 is planned to be used in combination with the NASAMS air defense system and the Thales Ground Master 200 radar. They will ensure the protection of infrastructure facilities at short range, as well as cover the batteries of the Belgian Armed Forces air defense system.
The Skyranger 30 turret system developed by Rheinmetall Air Defense can be mounted on a self-propelled armored chassis and in a stationary position. The mass of the ammunition tower is about 1.8–2.3 tons. She is armed with a 30 mm Oerlikon KCE cannon (rate of fire - up to 1250 rounds/min) It is equipped with 30x173 mm ammunition and sensors for detecting targets. The effective firing range is 3 km, the ammunition is from 252 to 300 rounds.
The range of horizontal aiming angles is 360 degrees, vertical – from -10 to +85 degrees, which allows you to fire at low–altitude targets. To increase the effectiveness of hitting aerial targets, primarily UAVs, programmable air-detonation ammunition is used. The turret is compatible with short-range MANPADS.
The design of the ZAU allows you to perform tasks both independently and as part of a network air defense system. The Spexer 2000M 3D MkIII radar from Hensoldt and the FIRST infrared target search and tracking system are usually used to detect targets. AFAR radar can detect helicopters at ranges up to 36 km, light aircraft – up to 27 km, small UAVs – up to 9 km and micro UAVs - up to 6 km.
