BOXER Skyranger30

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Photo Credit: RHEINMETALL

Overview

  • Highly mobile air defence system designed to counter drones and aerial threats.
  • Integrates active search and passive tracking sensors.
  • Equipped with both gun and missiles for autonomous engagement.
  • Special focus on small uncrewed aerial targets.
  • Capable of defeating agile single or swarming threats performing loiter, pop-up, or dive attacks.
  • Provides a lethal, mobile, and protected wheeled air defence platform.

Main Features

  • Highly mobile air defence system adopted by NATO countries.
  • Latest development focusing on small aerial targets.
  • High protection combined with superior mobility.
  • Firepower: 30mm Oerlikon Revolver Cannon KCE-ABM and VSHORAD missiles (MISTRAL/Stinger).
  • Simple handling and maintenance.

Dimensions

  • Length: up to 8,000 mm
  • Width: <3,000 mm
  • Height: <3,950 mm
  • Combat weight: <39.5 t

Performance

  • Top speed (paved roads): >65 km/h
  • Gradeability: 60%
  • Side slope: 30%
  • Trench crossing: 2,000 mm
  • Vertical step: 700 mm
  • Fording (unprepared): 1,400 mm

Engine & Transmission

  • Engine: MTU 8V199 V8 multi-fuel engine, 530 kW (720 hp), EURO III.
  • Transmission: Seven-speed Allison HD4800 SP.
  • Track/Wheels: 8 wheels.

Transportation

  • Transportable by air, road, sea, river, and rail.
  • Air transport options: C-17A Globemaster, AN 124-100, C-5.

Survivability

  • Ballistic protection against medium-calibre cannons, heavy machine guns, and small arms.
  • Blast and mine resistance: anti-tank mines, IEDs, EFP mines.
  • ATGM/RPG: optional APS and bomblet protection.
  • Ballistic protection details: confidential.

Skyranger 30 – Turret Specifications

Mass

  • 1.8 to 2.3 t (4,000 to 5,100 lb)

  • Includes turret with ammunition

Dimensions

  • Length: 5.175 m (203.7 in)

  • Barrel length: 2.126 m (83.7 in) (L/80)

  • Width: 2.568 m (101.1 in)

  • Height: 1.444 m (56.9 in) (turret with sensor)

  • Diameter: 3.634 m (143.1 in)

Caliber and Recoil

  • Caliber: 30×173 mm

  • Recoil: 12,000 N (2,700 lbf) with 16 mm (0.63 in)

Carriage

  • Mounted on BOXER and other platforms

Elevation and Traverse

  • Elevation: -10° to +85°

  • Traverse: 360°

Rate of Fire

  • 1,200 rounds per minute (nominal rate)

  • 200 rounds per minute (single shots)

Muzzle Velocity

  • 1,075 m/s (3,530 ft/s) with AHEAD rounds

Maximum Firing Range

  • Cannon effective range: 3.0 km (1.9 mi)

Lethality

  • Remote-controlled gun/missile turret.
  • Main gun: 30mm Oerlikon Revolver Cannon KCE-ABM.
  • Ammunition: up to 300 rounds (30mm x 173).
  • Optional: 2×10 Rosy smoke grenade launchers.
  • Missiles: 2–4 VSHORAD missiles.

Missile Options

FIM-92 Stinger

  • Turret equipped with a quad-launcher.

  • Selected by the Dutch Army.

  • Proven MANPADS missile integrated into the Skyranger 30 system.

Mistral-3

  • Renderings show both dual and quad launcher configurations.

  • Selected by the Austrian Army, leveraging its existing use of Mistral as MANPADS.

  • In March 2025, the Danish Army also selected this missile for its Skyranger 30.

SkyKnight

  • Option offered by Rheinmetall Air Defence in cooperation with Halcon.

  • Designed to engage large artillery shells and guided munitions.

  • As of early 2025, no client has selected this missile.

MBDA DefendAir

  • Formerly known as SADM (Small Anti-Drone Missile).

  • Based on the MBDA Enforcer design.

  • Effective range: approximately 5–6 km.

  • Presented at ILA Berlin Air Show 2024 by Rheinmetall Air Defence and MBDA Deutschland.

  • Launcher configuration: 9 missiles per turret (up to 12 possible).

  • Selected by the German Army in May 2025, with 9 launchers per turret.

Skyranger 30 – Ammunition

Standard Ammunition

  • Fired by the KCE cannon.

  • Calibre: 30×173 mm.

  • Airburst type with time fuze.

  • Turret carries 300 ready rounds.

  • Based on the proven 35 mm AHEAD ammunition.

PMC308

  • Contains 162 tungsten cylinder subprojectiles.

  • Total tungsten weight: 201 grams.

  • Same ammunition used on the Puma IFV.

PMC455

  • New ammunition currently in development.

  • Contains approximately 500 tungsten cylinders.

  • Maintains the same total tungsten weight as PMC308.

Gun Stabilisation

  • Contract signed with Curtis Wright Switzerland in September 2025.

  • Supplies gyroscopes and power management technology.

  • Enables precise control of the turret.

Crew

  • Up to 5 personnel, including commander and gunner.

Sensors

Radars

  • Rheinmetall Italia AMMR

    • S-band AESA multi-mission radar.

    • Detection ranges:

      • 20 km for 1 m² RCS aircraft - 12 km against hovering helicopters - 10 km against missiles - 5 km against RAM targets and micro-UAS

    • Prototype turret featured five flat antennas for full 360° coverage (four sufficient, each with 90° field of view).

    • As of early 2025, this radar has not yet been selected for the Skyranger 30.

  • Hensoldt Spexer 2000M 3D MkIII

    • X-band AESA radar.

    • Turret equipped with three flat antennas covering 360°, plus a smaller front antenna for target tracking.

    • Detection ranges:

      • Light aircraft (3.0 m² RCS): 27 km

      • Low-level helicopter (5.0 m² RCS): 36 km

      • UAV (0.2 m² RCS): 9 km

      • Micro-UAV: 6 km

    • Selected in early 2025 for German, Netherlands, Austrian, Hungarian, and Danish variants.

Passive Sensors

  • Rheinmetall FIRST (Fast InfraRed Search and Track)

    • Optimized for detecting pop-up targets such as helicopters.

    • Latest turret version does not include the FIRST sensor.

  • Compact Target Tracker

    • One HD cooled MWIR thermal camera.

    • One full-HD TV camera.

    • Two laser rangefinders: one dedicated to air targets, the other to land targets.

Laser Range Finder

  • Contract signed with Lumibird Photonics Sweden AB in May 2025.

  • Supply of the Vidar laser range finder for the Skyranger 30 turret.

CBRN Protection

  • Fully NBC protected.


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