Austria Orders SkyRanger 30 Air Defense Systems on Pandur Armored Vehicles

Austria has placed an order for 36 units of Skyranger 30 air defense systems, manufactured by Rheinmetall, to be integrated into their newly-ordered 6x6 Pandur EVO armored vehicles.

Earlier this week, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Steyr (GDELS) announced securing a $1.3 billion contract to produce 225 PANDUR 6x6 EVO wheeled armored vehicles for the Austrian Armed Forces. This contract complements an existing agreement for 100 PANDUR EVO vehicles, with the third batch currently in production and delivery. The comprehensive contract encompasses personnel carriers, conversion kits for medical, command & control missions, and introduces eight new vehicle variants, including those featuring a 120 mm mortar combat system, mobile air defense, and electronic warfare capabilities.

Rheinmetall, in an official release today, stated that the order for the Skyranger is valued in the mid-three-digit million-euro range, with deliveries scheduled to commence in 2026.

The Skyranger 30 system, designed to counter ballistic missiles, drone attacks, and other aerial threats, will be integrated into 36 Pandur vehicles, providing them with a mobile air defense capability. The Skyranger turret will be equipped with sensors, a 30mm automatic cannon, and guided missiles such as the Mistral.

Rheinmetall specialists have developed a special lightweight version of the Skyranger 30 specifically designed for seamless integration into the GDELS Pandur.