One of the most modern and effective cannon-based solutions currently in use to intercept Russian drones and other threats in Ukraine are the Skynex air defence systems produced by Rheinmetall.
Skynex is a comprehensive air defence system especially designed for close-range and short-range defence, where missiles are not particularly effective. In the case of the deliveries to Ukraine, all system components were mounted on Rheinmetall’s HX trucks (8×8 swap body trucks) to increase the system’s manoeuvrability.
A complete system consists of various components, such as the Oerlikon Skymaster battle management system, the Oerlikon X-TAR3D Tactical Acquisition Radar and up to four Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3 anti-aircraft guns and is capable of monitoring airspace within a radius of up to 50 kilometres and engaging a wide variety of targets within four kilometres (starting from the anti-aircraft guns).
Often, ammunition worth only a few thousand euros is enough to destroy a reconnaissance drone, loitering munition or a much more expensive cruise missile.
However, one of the biggest problems is the lack of orders, which would result in actual deliveries to Ukraine.
After more than three and a half years of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the German government has, according to publicly available information, only ordered four systems – two at the end of 2022 and two at the beginning of 2024.
By April 2025, the month in which the German government last announced arms deliveries to Ukraine in a list on its own website, only half of the pledged systems had been delivered to Ukraine, with the other half to follow by the end of the year.
Since then, there has been largely silence on this topic – at least until today! During Rheinmetall’s Capital Markets Day presentation, CEO Armin Papperger announced today that four Skynex systems are currently in use in Ukraine.
This means that the last two systems publicly pledged by the German government have now been delivered on schedule as announced.
Interestingly, Papperger not only also disclosed that each system was actually delivered with the maximum number of “shooters”, namely four Oerlikon Revolver Gun Mk3 anti-aircraft guns, but also where the air defence systems are in use in Ukraine.
According to Papperger, the Skynex systems are being used in western Ukraine to protect Ukrainian power plants, where – as can be seen from various images and video footage released by the Ukrainian Air Force – they are regularly involved in the defence against Russian loitering munitions and cruise missiles.
However, Papperger did not comment on possible future deliveries, so it must be assumed that, at least as things stand at present, all deliveries have been completed and Ukraine will not receive any further systems, at least in the foreseeable future.
However, the situation is different with the Skyrangers. Unlike the Skynex air defence system, the Skyranger combines all functions in a single armoured vehicle and, with its effective AHEAD ammunition, can engage a wide range of targets at an effective range of up to 4,000 metres.
More than two months ago, Papperger announced in an interview with ZDF that a delivery of these armoured anti-aircraft systems was being prepared and would start before the end of this year.
About half a month later, on the 10th of October, Rheinmetall announced in a press release that the order is worth hundreds of millions of euros and that the Leopard 1-based Skyranger 35 systems are being financed by an unnamed EU country, which is using windfall profits from frozen Russian assets to pay for them.
As the Rheinmetall CEO surprisingly explained today during his presentation, the delivery of the first system is now imminent and is scheduled to take place as early as next week.
He did not provide further details, such as when deliveries are to be completed or how many Skyranger 35s will actually be delivered.
However, one thing is particularly important to remember: as planned, the first systems will arrive in Ukraine before the end of the year and will certainly be a valuable addition in the fight against Russian attacks, which are specifically targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, particularly during the winter months.
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Basically good. Those systems may be comparatively cheap in running costs but are *very* expensive in Capex. I m v that’s their problem.