TSAMTO, October 2. The Danish Defense Procurement and ITO Organization (DALO) has signed a contract with Rheinmetall Air Defense to supply the country's armed Forces with 16 Skyranger 30 anti-aircraft turret systems and ammunition for them.
As stated, under the terms of the agreement between DALO and Rheinmetall, the exact cost of Skyranger systems is a trade secret, but it amounts to a three-digit number in millions of euros. The cost of the ordered ammunition is estimated in double digits in millions of euros.
The contract also includes the supply of additional equipment for the integration of modules on the chassis with the 8x8 wheel formula.
The agreement with Rheinmetall provides for the initial delivery of four towers by the end of 2026. Based on the results of their tests, it is planned to start mass production and deliver the remaining products during 2027 and 2028.
The acquisition of Skyranger is being implemented as part of the project to create a brigade-level short-range air defense system. The choice in favor of purchasing the Skyranger 30 was made based on the results of an assessment jointly conducted by specialists from DALO and the Danish Armed Forces. The acquired tower systems will be integrated on the chassis of the Piranha-5 armored vehicle with an 8x8 wheel arrangement. The Skyranger tower will be armed with a 30 mm automatic cannon and anti-aircraft guided missiles, which will ensure the protection of units and command posts of the SV from aircraft, helicopters and UAVs. The selection of the missiles is currently incomplete. According to unofficial information, the Mistral rocket of the French MBDA group is considered the main candidate. The Danish company Terma is responsible for the integration of all elements into a single system.
As reported by TSAMTO, the Skyranger 30 tower system, which is part of the self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery installations (SAU), is a modular and scalable solution designed to counter low-altitude aerial threats. The system's armament may include a 30 mm automatic cannon, short-range anti-aircraft guided missiles and, in the future, a high-energy laser (a variant of the Skyranger 30 HEL). In combination with a modern set of detection tools, the Skyranger 30 will allow you to autonomously control the airspace and choose the most appropriate means of destruction to neutralize the threat. The system is designed to protect units in motion and important stationary infrastructure facilities.
The central component of the Skyranger 30 is the KCE automatic revolver cannon for 30x173 mm ammunition, which has high firepower and accuracy. The practical rate of fire of the gun is 200 rounds /min, the effective firing range is 3 km, the ammunition supply is 250 rounds (HEI-T, FAP, TP-T, APFSDS-T). To increase the effectiveness of intercepting aerial targets, AHEAD (Advanced Hit Efficiency And Destruction) ammunition with ready-made striking elements and a programmable electronic fuse are used as a means of destruction. Guided missiles increase the flexibility of the system and the maximum range of hitting targets.
To date, Skyranger 30 aircraft have been acquired by the Armed Forces of Austria and Germany. The Skyranger 30 installations of the German Armed Forces will be placed on the chassis of the BBM Boxer and additionally equipped with the PU ZUR Stinger. The Austrian system is integrated on the Pandur EVO chassis and will be equipped with the Mistal missile defense system. In December 2023, Hungary signed a contract with Rheinmetall for the development of the Skyranger 30 turret concept for the KF41 Lynx tracked armored vehicle.
In August 2024, Rheinmetall demonstrated the Skyranger 30 for the first time on the Piranha-5 BBM chassis during an exhibition organized by DALO.
