A successful test and live-fire campaign at Rheinmetall’s Ochsenboden proving ground in December is clearing the path for total system qualification of the company’s Skyranger 30 A3 short-range air defence system in mid-2024.
Skyranger 30 A1 is a development testbed whose purpose is to pave the way for that system qualification. Its flexible design enables efficient testing and optimisation of multiple customer variants with different radars and effectors. With the Skyranger 30 slated to be introduced soon by several European user nations, this is a major advantage.
As recently as last December, Hungary contracted with Rheinmetall to develop a concept for a Skyranger 30 turret for the future air defence variant of the Lynx KF41 armoured vehicle. Denmark and Germany also plan to procure the Skyranger 30, mounted on different wheeled armoured vehicles.
At the heart of the systems lies the 30mmx173 KCE revolver cannon, whose firepower and precision have been demonstrated under adverse weather conditions. Skyranger 30 A3 will counter current and future aerial threats – including drones – enabling ground troops to focus on their actual mission. With a diverse array of ordnance, high mobility and advanced sensors enabling both autonomous and networked operation, the compact turret design allows integration into a wide variety of manned and unmanned platforms, including the 8×8 Boxer.
For more information: www.rheinmetall.com
(Image: The company’s Boxer 8×8 family of vehicles is one of the platforms put forward for mounting Skyranger 30. Credit: Rheinmetall)
