Skyranger 35

Last updated
Skyranger 35
Boxer fitted with the Oerlikon Skyranger air defence system.jpg
Rheinmetall displayed a Boxer fitted with the Oerlikon Skyranger 35 air defence system at Eurosatory 2018
Type Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (Very short-range air defence)
Place of originSwitzerland [1] [2]
Service history
Used bySee Operators
Production history
Designer Rheinmetall Air Defence AG (former Oerlikon Contraves)
Designed2004 [3]
Manufacturer Rheinmetall Air Defence AG
Rheinmetall Italia SpA (final assembly in Italy to escape Swiss export laws) [4]
Developed from Rheinmetall Oerlikon Millennium Gun
Developed into Rheinmetall Oerlikon Skyranger 30
Specifications
Mass3.95 t (8,700 lb) with ammunition (252 rounds) [5]
Length5.81 m (229 in) (turret) [5]
Barrel  length3.15 m (124 in) (L/90)
Width2.50 m (98 in) (turret) [5]
Height0.83 m (33 in) (turret without EOS), 1.63 m (64 in) (turret with EOS) [5]
Diameter3.95 m (156 in) [5]
Crew2 (1 operator of the Skymaster console, 1 commander of the C2 Interface) for the turret [5]
Shell AHEAD ammunition (programmable airburst ammunition) [5]
Caliber 35×228mm [5]
Elevation -7° / +80° [5]
Traverse 360° [5]
Rate of fire 1,000 rds/min (nominal rate)
200 rds/min (single shots)
Maximum firing range4.0 km (2.5 mi) (effective range) [5]
Main
armament
 Oerlikon Revolver Cannon KDG  [ de ] [5]
Guidance
system
360° AESA radar (S-band (IEEE)), an electro-optical sensor package (HD camera, cooled MWIR HD camera), and a laser rangefinder [5]

The Skyranger 35 is a short range air defence turret system developed by Rheinmetall Air Defence AG (formerly Oerlikon).

Contents

Design

A mobile version of the Skyshield air defense system, it is based on a turret equipped with a 35 mm revolver cannon, based on the 35/1000 revolver gun. It can be elevated up to 85° with 360° rotation. The unmanned turret weighs 4.25 tonnes loaded and is controlled by two operators inside the vehicle. The gun is optimized to fire AHEAD (Advanced Hit Efficiency And Destruction) ammunition, an airburst round that releases a cloud of sub-projectiles just ahead of a target, enabling it to engage conventional as well as low, slow and small (LSS) air threats including UAVs and perform C-RAM duties. [6] [7]

The cannon can fire single-shots, rapid single shots at 200 rounds per minute or at a maximum rate of 1,000 rounds per minute. It has an effective range of 4,000 m. Skyranger 35 vehicles have an integrated sensor suite, consisting of an X-band or Ku-band tracking radar with a range out to 30 km and an EO/IR camera with a laser rangefinder and automatic target tracking. The turret carries 252 rounds. It can be mounted on various wheeled and tracked vehicles. Prototypes were integrated on the Piranha IIIH, Piranha IV and Boxer 8×8 armored personnel carriers [6] [7] and the Leopard 2 tank chassis. [8]

In 2021, the Skyranger 30 was unveiled, which is a lighter version equipped with a 30 mm cannon and short-range surface-to-air missiles. [3]

In September of 2023, a new version of the Skyranger 35 system was introduced with redesigned turret and Oerlikon AMMR active electronically scanned array search radar. [9] This S-band radar has a detection range of 5 km for small drones and 20 km for fighter-sized aircraft. [10]

Integration of the Skyranger 35 with the Leopard I platform for use by the Ukrainian armed forces is also planned. [11] This version was demonstrated in a live fire exercise on the 18th of September 2024. [12]

Operators

Future operators

Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine
Contract for Ukraine signed with Rheinmetall in October 2025, financed by a EU nation (unknown as of October 2025). The quantity is unknown at the moment. [13] [4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "All of Europe wants this drone killer from Zurich – only Switzerland is in no hurry". watson.ch.
  2. ↑ "MORITZ VISCHER: "WE HAVE THE COURAGE TO THINK DIFFERENTLY"". militaeraktuell (in German). Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Rheinmetall unveils Skyranger 30 air-defence system". Janes Information Services . 5 March 2021. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Rheinmetall to supply Leopard 1-based Skyranger 35 to Ukraine – contract value in the three-digit million euro range". Rheinmetall. Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "OERLIKON SKYRANGER 35" (PDF). Rheinmetall. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  6. 1 2 "Skyranger - 35 mm anti-aircraft gun system". December 2024. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Wayback Machine" (PDF). www.ila-berlin.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-07-07. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  8. ↑ Newdick, Thomas (17 June 2024). "Old Leopard Tanks Can Be Reborn As Air Defense Systems With Skyranger 35 Turret". The War Zone. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  9. ↑ "Threat-adequate and highly mobile: Rheinmetall's Oerlikon Skyranger 35 on show at DSEI 2023" (PDF). www.rheinmetall.com.
  10. ↑ "MSU S: increased short range air defence situational awareness from Rheinmetall". 7 July 2022.
  11. ↑ "Rheinmetall repariert in der Ukraine: BILD im geheimen Panzer-Werk". bild.de (in German). 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  12. ↑ Heiming, Gerhard (19 September 2024). "Das mobile Flugabwehrsystem Skyranger in Action". ES&T (in German).
  13. ↑ "Rheinmetall to supply Leopard 1-based Skyranger 35 air defence systems to Ukraine - European Security & Defence". 2025-10-10. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
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