The Romanian government has commissioned Rheinmetall to supply air defense systems of the Skyranger 35 type. According to the company, this order is part of a historic large-scale contract for combat vehicles, ships and air defense valued at a total of €5.7 billion and includes, in addition to 24 Skyranger 35 systems, seven Skynex systems and the delivery of two Millennium guns for maritime air defense solutions. Rheinmetall had published a notice about this on June 2, 2026.
The Skyranger system will be integrated on the KF41 Lynx tracked platform. Romania is thus consistently committing to modernizing its armed forces to protect its own territory as well as to strengthen the NATO eastern flank. The combination of the Skyranger 35’s firepower and sensors and the mobility and protection of the Lynx infantry fighting vehicle provides an answer to modern threat scenarios. Current geopolitical developments and the recent incident with an unmanned drone in Romanian airspace have underscored once again the urgency of a seamless and highly mobile near-range air defense (VSHORAD).
Skyranger enables autonomous airspace surveillance and engagement
Oliver Dürr, head of Rheinmetall’s Air Defence division, emphasizes the strategic importance of the project: “Romania’s decision for the Skyranger 35 on the Lynx platform marks a milestone for European air defence. We are proud to continue our decades-long partnership with the Romanian government and to directly support the country in a critical security situation. The latest drone incident has shown how quickly threats from the air can become real. With our system, Romania will receive a highly efficient and flexible response to reliably protect soldiers as well as critical infrastructure from modern threats in the near and immediate vicinity.”
The Skyranger 35, with its 35-mm revolver cannon and the capability to use programmable AHEAD airburst ammunition, is specifically designed to effectively counter loitering munitions, swarm drones, and traditional aerial threats in the immediate vicinity. The integrated system combines modern radar sensors, electro-optical tracking systems, and the proven 35-mm anti-aircraft gun into a single, protected vehicle. This enables the Romanian Army to perform airspace surveillance and engagement autonomously and directly from the move.
