Rheinmetall Aims to Build 400 Skynex and Skyranger Air‑Defense Systems a Year by 2027
Rheinmetall plans to ramp up annual output of its Skynex and Skyranger short‑range air‑defense systems to about 400 units by 2027, reaching eight systems per week across factories in Switzerland, Italy and Germany. Ukraine already fields Skynex, and deliveries of Skyranger 35 systems on Leopard 1 chassis began in November 2025.
Rheinmetall is planning a steep increase in production of short‑range air‑defense systems, a category that has moved to the center of modern warfare as drones and low‑flying missiles proliferate.
By 2027, the company wants to be turning out around 400 Skynex and Skyranger systems a year, or about eight systems per week. Planned capacity is 140 systems annually in Switzerland, 140 in Italy and 100 in Germany.
Ukraine already operates Skynex, and it began receiving Skyranger 35 systems mounted on Leopard 1 tank chassis in November 2025. Those deliveries add mobile air‑defense firepower that can move with front‑line units.
For Ukraine, higher production of these systems in Europe offers a path to expanding coverage against drones and other low‑altitude threats at a time when its air defenses are under constant pressure.
For European governments and other buyers, Rheinmetall’s targets signal that they expect sustained demand for short‑range air defense and are committing industrial capacity accordingly.
The next markers to watch are concrete orders that fill this planned capacity and how combat experience in Ukraine shapes future variants of Skynex and Skyranger.
Sources
- OSINT