Representing an important step toward the realization of what was announced last October, the German company Rheinmetall has announced this week that the first Skyranger 35 air-defense system mounted on a Leopard tank chassis will soon be delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As confirmed by the company’s own CEO, Armin Papperger, the event is expected to take place next week with the intention of reinforcing Kyiv’s air defense as soon as possible.
Expanding on the details, it is important to recall that these systems were acquired through a contract worth a three-digit figure in millions of euros, which would have been provided by an unidentified member country of the European Union that is willing to use extraordinary funds generated by the freezing of Russian assets following the sanctions imposed due to the war. In addition, it is known that the integration work for the aforementioned Skyranger 35 air-defense system onto former Leopard tank chassis would be carried out by Rheinmetall Italia S.p.A., particularly using its facilities located in Rome.
Briefly reviewing the known characteristics of the system that Ukraine would be incorporating in the near future, it should be recalled that this is an air-defense system whose main asset is its KDG 35/1000 revolver cannons of 35×228 mm caliber, which have a range of 4,000 meters and a rate of fire of 1,000 rounds per minute; showing a high degree of compatibility with programmable ammunition and leaving open the technical possibility of integrating missile launchers to increase its firepower. Furthermore, its integration onto a Leopard chassis will represent an enhancement in terms of mobility and platform protection, giving Ukraine a flexible system to operate in hostile environments.
Finally, it is useful to recall that this would not be the first system produced by Rheinmetall that the Armed Forces of Ukraine incorporate to strengthen their air-defense capabilities, considering that they have already added the Skynex systems during the year 2024. We are also talking about a cannon-based system, which was funded by the German government itself as part of an aid package for the Ukrainian war effort, with an investment of around 182 million euros. As of today, Ukrainian troops are the only ones in the world that have them available in active service.
*Image credits: Rheinmetall
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