Modern air defense

Austria first customer worldwide for new anti-aircraft system

Weighs three tons, fits on a Pandur Evo and fires AHEAD ammunition and Mistral missiles: the "Skyranger 30" turret, which will protect army convoys from drones in the future. In the background: Federal Chancellor Nehammer, Defense Minister Tanner.

(Bild: BMLV/Daniel TRIPPOLT)

For the first time in its history, the Austrian army is getting a mobile air defense system that can also protect moving convoys from drones: "Skyranger 30" is the name of the brand new system from Rheinmetall, and Austria is the first buyer worldwide.

It is a typically Austrian solution, and one that has cost the designers at German armaments giant Rheinmetall a lot of nerve:

Because the company's brand new "Skyranger" air defense system was originally designed for wheeled tanks with eight wheels, it did not fit on Austria's new Pandur Evo. These drive on only six tires and therefore carry less, the "Skyranger" turret was too heavy.

Fortunately, the smoke launcher cartridges in front of which the Chancellor stood were only dummies.

(Bild: Andy Wenzel)

"Austria is the first customer worldwide"
So they screwed, milled, saved material, drilled holes and reduced the size of the steel beams until the tower fitted on the Pandur. Even an exit hatch was saved. "This allowed us to reach the prescribed three tons," explains Rheinmetall Air Defence CEO Oliver Duerr. And Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner adds: "This makes us the first customer worldwide to sign a purchase contract." Germany, Denmark and Hungary are set to follow in the next few weeks.

Study on the "Skyranger" system, which is set to go into series production from 2027.

(Bild: Rheinmetall)

But what can the system do? The "Skyranger 30" turret consists of a 30mm cannon (a 35mm variant is also planned) and a launcher for two short-range "Mistral" anti-aircraft guided missiles. A dedicated radar can detect and track targets autonomously, while a friend or foe identification system helps to identify aircraft. So far, so expected.

A "Skyranger" turret in live fire, here mounted on an 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle.

(Bild: Rheinmetall)

The real highlight lies in the ammunition.

The AHEAD projectiles used were originally invented by the Swiss company Oerlikon, now part of Rheinmetall. In the early 2000s, the Swiss found a way to program fired projectiles on their way out of the gun barrel.

AHEAD test shot at an approaching air-to-ground missile

(Bild: Georg Mader)

Their muzzle velocity is measured within nanoseconds and the time is given when they should disintegrate into a cloud of tungsten fragments - ideally as close as possible to the target, which is destroyed by this fragmentation effect. A nightmare for unarmored drones.

A video shows how it works:

Closing the next capability gap
Austria intends to procure 36 of these turret superstructures for the new Pandur Evo. The Austrian Armed Forces want to use them to close one of the many capability gaps of recent decades: there is currently no highly mobile air defense system for close-range operations, such as for troop convoys. Infantrymen on trucks or even grenadiers in armored personnel carriers are defenceless against air threats - especially drones.

A traveling "Skyranger" system on a Pandur with a speed of up to 100 km/h is intended to provide a remedy. "The handover of the first two units, which will then go into troop trials, is planned for the end of 2026 to the beginning of 2027," says Oliver Hoffmann from Rheinmetall in an interview with Krone.