Germany Messages 600 Skyrangers 30 To Strengthen Air Defense Systems

Skyranger 30/DOK via rheinmetall.com

JAKARTA - The German government plans to order more than 600 Skyranger 30 short-range air defense systems from Rheinmetall before the end of the year, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Friday, citing sources from the Ministry of Defense and Industry.

Reported by Reuters, the contract for towers and vehicles, in this case Boxer-wheeled armored vehicles jointly produced with French-German defense firm KNDS, is worth more than nine billion euros (US$10 billion), Handelsblatt reported.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius last week said Germany would start procuring several hundred Skyranger tanks in the coming months. So far, 19 tanks have been booked.

"I don't want to talk about numbers," a spokesman for the German Ministry of Defense said at a routine government press conference in Berlin on Friday, October 10 when asked about orders for 600 tanks.

The Skyranger Rheinmetall moving air defense system was developed specifically to defend against low-flying objects.

Air defenses have been a focus in Europe amid growing concerns Russia may be behind the increasing number of recent unmanned aircraft attacks in the airspace of Ukrainian allies in Europe.