RHEINMETALL AWARDED DEVELOPMENT CONTRACT FOR SKYRANGER VARIANT OF LYNX IN HUNGARY

Rheinmetall has scored a significant success in marketing its new Skyranger 30 air defence system as part of the European Sky Shield Initiative: Hungary, a NATO and EU member nation, has awarded Rhein­metall a contract for the conceptual development of the Skyranger 30 turret for the future Lynx KF41 Mobile Air Defence Vehicle. The contract has been signed on 15th December 2023 in Budapest.

For Rheinmetall, the development contract is worth close to €30 million. The customisation development of the Skyranger 30 turret for the Lynx tracked armoured vehicle and the integration of additional effectors responds to Hungary’s need to address the current threat situation, adding a new member to the Lynx family in the process.

The order highlights the Group’s role as the global leader in short-range air defence – an innovative force driving the ongoing development of cutting-edge air defence systems. Rheinmetall’s Skyranger 30 is the ideal solution for contemporary scenarios that involve countering drone attacks and other aerial threats.

The Lynx Skyranger 30 will be a pathbreaking air defence system based on the tried-and-tested Lynx infantry fighting vehicle. Integrating the state-of-the-art Skyranger air defence system results in an even more effective and versatile air defence capability. The system offers an optimum combination of mobility, survivability, flexibility and precision, capable of thwarting highly challenging new threats in the short- and very-short domain. A hybrid solution, its turret combines a high-performance 30mm automatic cannon, surface-to-air missiles and the accompanying sensor suite, all on a single platform. Moreover, the system is compatible with a variety of modern guided missiles, such as the Mistral, Stinger and Chiron.

This development project forms part of the European Sky Shield Initiative, or ESSI, which seeks to significantly improve Europe’s air defence capabilities in the next few years. The ESSI aims to protect Europe’s NATO member states more effectively against aerial attacks. To achieve this quickly, ESSI member nations plan to jointly procure, deploy and maintain the relevant hardware, including radar systems, automatic cannon and surface-to-air guided missiles.