For the first time in its history, the Austrian armed forces will receive a mobile anti-aircraft system that can also protect moving convoys against drones: “Skyranger 30” is the name of the brand new system from Rheinmetall, Austria is the first buyer in the world.
It is a typical Austrian solution, which cost the designers of the German defense giant Rheinmetall nerves:
Since the German company’s brand new “Skyranger” anti-aircraft system was originally designed for eight-wheeled tanks, it did not fit into the new Austrian Pandur Evo. These ride on only six tires and therefore carry less weight; the ‘Skyranger’ tower was too heavy.
“Austria is the first customer in the world”
So they screwed, milled, saved material, drilled holes and reduced the steel beams until the tower weighed only three tons and fit on the Pandur. Even an exit hatch was spared. “This means that we have reached the prescribed three tons,” explains Oliver Duerr, boss of Rheinmetall Air Defense. And Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner added: “We are the first customers in the world to sign a purchase agreement.” Germany, Denmark and Hungary will follow in the coming weeks.
But what can the system do? The ‘Skyranger 30’ turret consists of a 30mm cannon (a 35mm variant is also planned) and a launcher for two short-range ‘Mistral’ anti-missile missiles. Its own radar can independently detect and track targets, and friend-enemy identification helps identify aircraft. So far, so expected.
The real highlight lies in the ammunition.
The AHEAD projectiles used were originally an invention of the Swiss company Oerlikon, now part of Rheinmetall. In the early 2000s, the Swiss found a way to program fired projectiles as they exited the barrel of the cannon.
Their muzzle velocity is measured within nanoseconds and the time is given for them to disintegrate into a cloud of tungsten fragments – ideally as close as possible to the target that will be destroyed by this fragmentation effect. A nightmare for unarmored drones.
A video shows how it works:
Close the next skills gap
Austria wants to purchase 36 of these tower structures for the new Pandur Evo. With them, the federal army wants to close one of the many capacity gaps of recent decades: there is currently no highly mobile air defense for short distances, for example for troop convoys. Infantrymen on trucks or even grenadiers in armored personnel carriers are defenseless against threats from the air – especially drones.
A traveling “Skyranger” system on a Pandur at speeds of up to 100 km/h is intended to help. “The transfer of the first two copies, which will then be used for military tests, is planned for the end of 2026 to the beginning of 2027,” said Oliver Hoffmann of Rheinmetall in an interview with “Krone”.
Source: Krone

I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.