Skyranger Orders 2026: Which Countries Are Buying Rheinmetall’s Air Defence System
Rheinmetall’s Skyranger 30 has become Europe’s go-to mobile counter-drone and short-range air defence system. Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium have signed contracts, Romania has ordered the heavier Skyranger 35, and Denmark plans to buy it. Rheinmetall is expanding production from about 70–100 turrets a year towards 400. This article tracks who has ordered Skyranger, how many systems, on which vehicles and when deliveries are due, using Rheinmetall’s own announcements up to November 2026. For how the system works, see our explainer What is the Skyranger 30?.
Skyranger customers at a glance (November 2026)
- Austria: 36 Skyranger 30 on Pandur EVO. Austria was the launch customer in Europe.
- Germany: 19 Skyranger 30 on Boxer under contract; the first prototype has been delivered.
- Netherlands: a contract worth hundreds of millions of euros (December 2025).
- Belgium: 20 Skyranger 30 on hooklift platforms (November 2026), with deliveries from late 2028.
- Romania: Skyranger 35 on Lynx, ordered as part of a €5.7 billion package.
- Denmark: plans to procure Skyranger 30.
- Ukraine: systems intended for short-term air defence support.
What is Skyranger, in one paragraph?
Skyranger is a turret that combines a 30 mm x 173 KCE revolver cannon with a search radar and electro-optical sensors. Rheinmetall gives the cannon an effective range of up to 3,000 m. It fires programmable AHEAD airburst ammunition, which releases a cloud of sub-projectiles in front of the target and gives a very high hit probability against small drones. The turret can also take short-range missiles: at ILA 2026, Rheinmetall showed it on a Boxer with MBDA’s DefendAir missile. The turret is modular, so it can be mounted on wheeled vehicles (Boxer, Pandur), tracked vehicles (Lynx, ACSV) or trucks.
Skyranger orders, country by country
| Country | Variant / platform | Quantity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Skyranger 30 on GDELS Pandur EVO | 36 | Contracted; “mid-triple-digit million euro” value |
| Germany | Skyranger 30 on Boxer | 19 | Contracted; first prototype delivered on schedule |
| Netherlands | Skyranger 30 (mobile and forward-deployed units) | Not disclosed | Order “in the range of hundreds of millions of euros”, December 2025 |
| Belgium | Skyranger 30 on hooklift platform (stationary) | 20 | Contract signed November 2026; deliveries from end of 2028 |
| Romania | Skyranger 35 on Lynx | Not disclosed | Ordered in a €5.7 billion package |
| Denmark | Skyranger 30 | — | Planned procurement |
| Ukraine | Skyranger 30 | — | Intended for short-term delivery |
Austria: the launch customer
Rheinmetall describes Austria as taking “a pioneering role” as Europe’s launch customer. Its 36 systems are integrated on the national Pandur EVO wheeled vehicle built by General Dynamics European Land Systems.
Germany: Boxer-based air defence returns
The Bundeswehr retired its Gepard anti-aircraft tanks in 2010 and lost mobile gun-based air defence. It has now ordered 19 Skyranger 30 on the Boxer 8×8 under its first contract, and Rheinmetall says the first prototype was delivered on schedule.
Netherlands and Belgium: a joint approach
The Dutch order of December 2025, worth hundreds of millions of euros, covers Skyranger systems for mobile and forward-deployed operations. Belgium’s contract of 9 November 2026 covers 20 systems on hooklift platforms for stationary protection of territory and critical infrastructure. It is worth a mid-three-digit million euro sum including logistics, and the systems will be integrated into Belgium’s “Blue Dome” programme. Rheinmetall says the deal was negotiated “in close consultation” with the Netherlands. It also notes that, exactly 50 years earlier, the company (then operating as Oerlikon Contraves, with Krauss-Maffei) supplied Belgium with 36 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks. Read our report on the Belgian order.
Romania: the heavier Skyranger 35
Romania chose the Skyranger 35 variant on the Lynx tracked vehicle as part of a €5.7 billion procurement package with Rheinmetall. It is part of Bucharest’s wider overhaul; see Romania’s 2026 defence budget.
Why demand has surged
- Drones. The war in Ukraine showed that cheap drones and loitering munitions can overwhelm missile-based air defence. A gun with airburst rounds offers a much lower cost per engagement.
- Mobility. Manoeuvre brigades need air defence that can move with them, which static systems cannot provide.
- European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI). Rheinmetall positions Skyranger as the short-range layer of ESSI, which brings European countries together to buy air defence.
Production ramp-up
Rheinmetall says annual capacity will grow “from the current level of around 70 to 100 turrets to up to 400 units per year” to meet demand. That ramp-up is crucial: Belgian deliveries, for example, do not start until the end of 2028.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries use Skyranger 30?
Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium have contracted Skyranger 30, Denmark plans to buy it, and systems are intended for Ukraine. Romania ordered the Skyranger 35 variant.
How many Skyranger has Germany ordered?
Rheinmetall says the Bundeswehr has commissioned 19 Skyranger 30 on the Boxer under its current contract.
What is the range of Skyranger 30?
Rheinmetall gives an effective range of up to 3,000 m for the 30 mm cannon. Optional missiles extend the engagement range.
When will Belgium receive Skyranger?
Deliveries are scheduled to begin at the end of 2028.
Sources
- Rheinmetall: “Rheinmetall showcases its cutting-edge Skyranger air defence system at ILA 2026”, 10 June 2026.
- Rheinmetall: “Skyranger air defence systems for Belgium”, 9 November 2026.
