Austria has awarded Rheinmetall a significant contract encompassing the cutting-edge Skyranger air defence system. 

According to Rheinmetall’s announcement, delivery of the systems will commence in 2026. Under the project, Rheinmetall is serving as a subcontractor of GDELS, the vehicle maker tasked with upgrading Austria’s fleet of Pandur wheeled armoured vehicles. The whole endeavour is part of the Austrian Army’s effort to improve its operational mobility. 

The Skyranger air defence system is a versatile turret solution that can be mounted on a variety of vehicle platforms, including the 6×6 GDELS Pandur EVO. The Skyranger version for the Austrian Army combines state-of-the-art sensors with a high-performance, KCA-type 30 mm automatic cannon (firing rate of 1200 shots/min) and short-range (SHORAD), anti-aircraft, guided missiles, in this case, the Mistral 3.

The news of the acquisition on behalf of Austria comes in the wake of a Skyranger development contract from Hungary in December 2023. 

The procurement of thirty-six Skyranger 30 air defence systems mounted on the 6×6 GDELS Pandur EVO places Austria at the forefront of self-propelled ground-based air defence in Europe. 

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Earlier in December 2023, Austria had decided the modernization and upgrade of its existing towed 35 mm systems to Skyguard Next Generation (NG) status. Now, following the decision to introduce the Skyranger 30, the capability gap in self-propelled air defence will soon be bridged as well.

The Skyranger 30 shall be in the position to effectively counter current and emerging aerial threats to ground forces, enabling them to focus on their prime tasks. 

As a modular system, it will integrate a meticulously thought-out combination of different effectors, maximum mobility, a large elevation range (more than 85 degrees) and state-of-the-art sensors. Overall, the system will be capable of enabling autonomous and networked operations alike.

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