Germany Allocates €0,5B for Development and Purchase of Anti-Drone Missiles for Skyranger

The Bundestag Budget Committee has approved funding of about 490 million euros for the development and purchase of new DefendAir missiles designed to combat drones.

The manufacturer of the system is MBDA Deutschland, hartpunkt reports.

More than two-thirds of the amount will be spent on the development and qualification of the missile, which was previously called SADM (Small Anti Drone Missile). It is now being marketed under the DefendAir brand.

The remaining funds are intended for the purchase of serial samples, as well as the creation of a production line and launch containers.

It is expected that serial production will start in 2029, and the first deliveries to the Bundeswehr may begin in 2030.

The DefendAir missiles have already been selected as additional weapons for the Skyranger 30 air defense system. However, their integration into the Skyranger is not part of the current funding package – it is already included in a separate contract for the development of the combat module itself.

According to preliminary plans, each Skyranger will be equipped with at least nine and possibly twelve DefendAir missiles.