Ukraine receives new German Skyranger 35 anti-aircraft systems

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have begun using the newest German Skyranger 35 anti-aircraft systems, manufactured by Rheinmetall. The 1020th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment became the first unit to master the new equipment.

"We've been operating the system for some time now, and it's actively defending Ukrainian skies," said a crew commander known by the call sign Tymati, as quoted by the Defence Express portal. According to him, in operation the system "somewhat resembles a spaceship" due to its abundance of functions. The serviceman also confirmed that the Ukrainian army already has several such systems in service.

The Skyranger 35 is built on a Leopard 1 tank chassis and is designed to protect mechanized units from drones as well as low-flying missiles and shells. Its main weapon is the KDV 35/1000 automatic 35mm cannon, with a rate of fire of up to 1,000 rounds per minute and an effective range of about four kilometers.

A contract worth billions of crowns

The system uses programmable fragmentation shells that detonate along a drone's flight path, creating a dense cloud of shrapnel that destroys the target without a direct hit. This approach makes it possible to shoot down cheap drones without expending costly anti-aircraft missiles, significantly reducing the cost per intercept.

The contract for the supply of Skyranger 35 systems is valued at more than €100 million (around 2.4 billion crowns). Rheinmetall Italia is responsible for the installation and technical integration of the systems. The manufacturer has not disclosed the number of systems being delivered or their shipping schedule.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz