The Rheinmetall Group is expanding its strategic partnership with the Kingdom of Belgium. Less than 18 months after the initial discussions in June 2025, the company, according to a press release issued this Monday, has now received an order for the delivery of 20 Skyranger 30 systems. The systems, installed on a hook-lift platform, are intended for the stationary protection of Belgian sovereign territory as well as critical infrastructure.
The contract value for the procurement package, which includes not only the systems but also the associated logistics, according to the announcement, lies in the mid three-digit million-euro range. The delivery of the systems is planned to commence from the end of 2028. In addition, the company signals its willingness to expand cooperation with the Belgian industry to further innovative fields, including stationary and deployable drone defense solutions.
Pragmatism and Close Bilateral Cooperation
With this order, Rheinmetall says it is resuming a tradition of collaboration: Exactly 50 years ago, the company — then under Oerlikon Contraves and in industrial cooperation — delivered a total of 36 Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns to the Belgian armed forces. The newly concluded Skyranger contract marks the beginning of a new technological chapter in the joint partnership.
The rapid conclusion of the contract in less than a year and a half is largely based on the clear political commitment of the Belgian authorities to protect their own population, according to Rheinmetall. The procurement program has been realized in close coordination with the company as well as with the neighboring Dutch partner country, ensuring a harmonious and coherent implementation of the overall system by all parties involved.
Key Involvement of the Belgian Industry
“With the signing of the Skyranger contract, we, together with the Belgian armed forces, are opening a new chapter in our 50-year partnership. The rapid technological development of threats from the air requires state-of-the-art, fully integrated protection systems. The Skyranger 30 will make a decisive contribution to reliably safeguarding Belgian sovereign territory and critical infrastructure,” said Roman Köhne, CEO of Rheinmetall Air Defence.
“A central pillar of the program is the intended integration of the Belgian industrial ecosystem. Belgian technology companies should be tightly integrated into the value chain. Rheinmetall thereby actively promotes the further development of Belgian security companies into international players. The Skyranger 30 system will be fully integrated into the overarching command-and-control (C2) architecture of the Belgian program ‘Blue Dome’.”
