Skyranger Deal: Ukraine to Sign Air Defense Contract with Rheinmetall This Week

Ukraine will be armed with the latest German Skyranger air defense systems worth hundreds of millions of euros.

Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger confirmed the forthcoming agreement in an interview with ZDF.

Deliveries of the air defense systems are expected to start later this year.

According to Papperger, the contract will be signed on Wednesday at the DSEI defense exhibition in London.

At this time, the exact number and modification of the Skyranger systems that Ukraine will receive have not been disclosed.

“Each of these systems can cover an area of four by four kilometers, creating a completely drone-free zone. This means all UAVs will be destroyed,” Papperger noted.

The Skyranger system is a remotely operated module equipped with a 30mm or 35mm automatic cannon, with an optional capability to mount a surface-to-air missile launcher. The module can be installed on various self-propelled chassis, including the Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tanks, which are already in service with the Ukrainian Defense Forces.