Acting as a subcontractor to General Dynamics European Land Systems, Rheinmetall will supply its Skyranger air defence turret to be integrated onto Austria’s existing fleet of Pandur 6×6 vehicles, the company announced on 23 February.
Some 36 vehicles will be so modified, providing the Austrian army with a mobile short range air defence capability. The custom-designed lightweight Skyranger 30 turret integrates a high performance 30mm autocannon with advanced sensors and short-range missiles – in this case, the MBDA Mistral. This first series production order for Skyranger – following on from the development contract inked with Hungary last December – marks a major market breakthrough for the system, setting the stage for further successes in Europe: both Germany and Denmark are expected to place orders soon, and a series production contract from Hungary is almost certain to follow conclusion of the development contract.
Rheinmetall will also upgrade Austria’s 35mm air defence systems to the Skyguard NG (next generation) configuration: progressive networking and integration of these and higher echelon systems will bring the force decisive strategic advantage.
For more information: www.rheinmetall.com
(Image: Skyranger 30 on the Pandur 6×6 platform will enable autonomous and networked air defence operations for the Austrian army. Credit: Rheinmetall)
