In a remarkable meeting, the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag approved the financing of 19 Skyranger 30 anti-aircraft gun tanks. Seldom have the topics for the meeting been as unclear as before the meeting on February 21st. Some 25 million proposals submitted by the BMVg did not make it onto the agenda, such as for the heavy weapons carrier including logistical support and for the speaking sets with hearing protection. The Skyranger proposal only came onto the agenda at the last minute and was discussed at the meeting in the same way as the clothing proposal. The BMVg was represented by a large delegation with experts on all sorts of topics. This made visitor management necessary to ensure technical information, especially since Minister Boris Pistorius himself also commented on some of the agenda items.
Ultimately, the Budget Committee approved the Skyranger and clothing templates worth a total of 2.85 billion euros. The BMVg only reported on the procurement of clothing on its website; there was no information on the development of the Skyranger project there.
As far as is known so far, the Bundeswehr is to receive 19 Skyranger 30 anti-aircraft systems, one of which will later remain in the armaments sector as a reference example. This includes eight reloading vehicles and workshop equipment and an on-board simulator for each of the 18 series vehicles.
In addition to the IRIS-T SLM air defense systems, the Skyranger 30 are among the advance purchases as part of the air defense system for the short and close range (NNbS), for the development of which the Budget Committee released 1.3 billion euros on January 22nd (ESuTreported).
In the Skyranger 30, Rheinmetall has combined the 30 mm Oerlikon revolver cannon and a guided missile into a system that can engage targets in the range range from zero to several kilometers. With its high cadence and precision, the Oerlikon cannon surpasses the effectiveness of the two cannons in the FlakPz Gepard. The company's own sensors, including AESA radar from Hensoldt and the passive infrared sensor FIRST, can detect and track targets all around (360 degrees). The weapon system is integrated into an unmanned turret that weighs less than four tons.
In addition to the rapid-fire cannon, a dual launcher for the Stinger anti-aircraft missile will be integrated into the turret. The more modern version differs from the rocket introduced into the Bundeswehr.
For the Bundeswehr, the Skyranger 30 system is implemented with a Boxer. The turret is integrated into a Boxer mission module, which is made mobile with a standard Boxer driving module. As the main contractor, Rheinmetall supplies the air defense system from the air defense specialist Rheinmetall Air Defense from Switzerland and is responsible for the production of the Boxer with the other components as well as the final assembly.
According to the schedule, the proof copy should be delivered next year. As soon as there is a positive result from the tests by BAAINBw and Troop in collaboration with the manufacturer, the series models should be delivered from 2026.
The financing of the 650 million euros for the development and production of the system will primarily come from the Bundeswehr's special funds. This includes 37 million euros for supplies such as radio equipment and Stinger missiles. Since the project is not expected to be completed by 2027, follow-up financing from Section 14 or another financial source is required.
Gerhard Heiming
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