Romania has awarded Rheinmetall a contract to supply 24 Skyranger 35 and seven Skynex air defense systems.
The Skyranger 35 is a vehicle-mounted short-range air-defense system designed to protect maneuvering ground forces, while Skynex is a modular, ground-based networked system intended for the defense of fixed sites and critical infrastructure.
Romanian Ministry of Defence figures indicate the air defense contract is worth 982 million euros ($1.12 billion). The deal also includes two Millennium close-in weapon systems for maritime air defense applications.
Part of Broader Defense Investment
The purchase is part of Romania’s broader 5.7-billion-euro ($6.6 billion) defense acquisition package, which also covers Lynx KF41 combat vehicle, ammunition, and naval vessels.
Skyranger systems will be integrated onto the Lynx KF41 platform.
Through these investments, Bucharest is taking one of its most significant recent steps to strengthen defense capabilities, focusing on land-force mobility, counter-drone defense, and its military posture in the Black Sea region.
“Romania’s decision to choose the Skyranger 35 on the Lynx platform is a significant milestone for European air defense,” Head of Rheinmetall’s Air Defence Division Oliver Dürr said.
“We are proud to continue our decades-long partnership with the Romanian government and provide the country with direct support in this critical security situation.”
Skyranger 35
Designed to protect maneuvering forces from loitering munitions, drone swarms, and conventional aerial threats, the Skyranger 35 integrates a 35mm airburst-capable Oerlikon cannon with radar and electro-optical sensors in a protected vehicle.
The system can detect, track, and engage targets autonomously while on the move, with an effective firing range of up to 4,000 meters (13,123 feet). Its airburst rounds are particularly effective against low-cost loitering munitions such as the Shahed-type drones seen in Ukraine.
Skyranger 35 can also operate as part of a broader integrated air-defense network, protecting both mobile formations and fixed assets.
