Rheinmetall intends to develop "Frankenstein"-like battle tanks for Ukraine.
Upcoming German air defense systems might primarily rely on Rheinmetall's Skyranger system, but they're considering a different version for Ukraine: a fortified model built upon the Leopard 1 tank chassis. Ukraine demands advanced air defense to combat Russian airstrikes via cruise missiles and drones, a point repeatedly stressed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In response, German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall plans to develop a specialized air defense tank model tailored to Ukraine's needs.
Bjoern Bernhard, Head of Land Systems at Rheinmetall, told the "Bild" newspaper, "We're considering mounting Skyranger turrets with the 35mm cannon onto existing Leopard 1 tanks." Such a configuration would help Ukrainian defenders beef up their air defense arsenals with a heavily armored unit.
The Skyranger-System 35 incorporates a revolver cannon in the 35mm caliber, capable of firing 1,000 rounds per minute. This cannon boasts an effective range of up to 4,000 meters, making it a viable option for local drone defense. Russia has been employing drones, particularly Iranian models, in attacks on Ukrainian cities. Alongside the 52 Flakpanzer Gepard units provided by Germany, this new tank-based system could offer an effective solution against drones.
Rheinmetall is further developing a composite Leopard 2 and Skyranger 35 model, presented at the Eurosatory arms fair in Paris. Potential future versions might even integrate air defense rockets into this model, as per the company.
Germany has previously provided Ukraine with various air defense systems, including IRIS-T SLM, IRIS-T SLS, and Patriot systems. However, German tank-based air defense systems similar to Skyranger, like the Skynex, have already been provided to Ukraine. Skynex, though, employs a cannon-based air defense but is mounted on an Lkw chassis instead of a tank-like the proposed "Frankenstein" tank.
Germany itself has already ordered Skyranger-based air defense tanks built on the Boxer armored personnel carrier chassis. The German parliament approved the procurement of 19 Skyranger tank-based air defense systems and additional services, allocating a total of 649 million euros for this purpose, according to the Defense Ministry at the time.
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Rheinmetall's focus on developing a specialized air defense tank for Ukraine aligns with Ukraine's need for advanced defense against Russian airstrikes using cruise missiles and drones. This comes as Germany considers a fortified Skyranger system built upon the Leopard 1 tank chassis for Ukraine. Rheinmetall's Skyranger-System 35, with its 35mm cannon, is a potential solution for local drone defense in Ukraine, where Russian drones have been frequently used in attacks. Besides Skyranger, Germany has already supplied Ukraine with various air defense systems, such as IRIS-T SLM, IRIS-T SLS, and Patriot systems.
