Rheinmetall Skyranger turreted air defense system has been selected by the Danish military as a key element of its planned ground air defense system.
The Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (FMI) recently announced the selection based on on a market analysis considering the Danish Army, broader NATO operational requirements, and consideration of lessons of the Ukraine conflict related to air defense.
FMI Head Lt. Gen. Kim Jesper Jørgensen stated “With the choice of the Skyranger we are acquiring the most modern air defense for the Army. At the same time, other countries, including Germany, want to acquire the Skyranger, so we will be able to cooperate with other countries on training, ammunition, spare parts and continuous updates of the system.”
The final configuration of the air defense system will include a radar, communication, and as yet to be identified missile system.
The Danish defense firm Terma will integrate the elements into the air defense system which will be mounted on the Piranha V 8×8 armored carrier. Skyranger 30, which the Danes have selected, is derived from the field-proven Skyranger 35.
Skyranger 30 employs a 30 mm auto-cannon that enables the 2.5-ton turret to fit on light armored vehicles like the Piranha 5.
The KCA auto-cannon gun from Rheinmetall Air Defense (formerly Oerlikon) fires a 30 mm AHEAD timed-airburst munition that contains 160 tungsten pellets. It is effective against fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, Group I and II unmanned aerial systems (UAS), loitering munitions, and cruise missiles thanks to its 1200 rpm rate of fire and 3km range.
The FIM-92 Stinger and Mistral, as well as other missiles, are both capable of integration with the Skyranger turret for anti-air defense.
The Rheinmetall offering utilizes a S-band AESA Multi-Mission Radar (AMMR) from Rheinmetall Italia providing 360° coverage. Their model also has Rheinmetall’s FIRST (Fast InfraRed Search and Track) providing passive thermal/IR panoramic target detection.
The Danish decision has them joining Germany which plans to acquire Skyranger 30 on the GTK Boxer and Hungary which executed a 2021 MoU to develop a Lynx mounted Skyranger with Mistral missiles.
by Stephen W. Miller
