Italy received its first Skynex air defense system from Rheinmetall. This makes Italy the first NATO operator of the system, while Ukraine is already using it to shoot down russian drones and cruise missiles.
One system costs €73 million, with an option to purchase three additional systems for €204 million. This is slightly higher than Rheinmetall's previously announced estimates for Germany, where the average price was €60 million.
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The higher cost for Italy can be explained by the need to develop local infrastructure and production lines. It is realistic that cost reductions could be achieved as order volumes increase.
The order was placed in January 2025, meaning it took slightly less than a year to fulfill the contract, which provides an indication of the time required to manufacture one system. The agreement was executed by the Italian company Rheinmetall Italia S.p.A.
Currently, Italy is the only NATO country that has purchased Skynex. Among other NATO members, Romania has expressed interest in supplementing its existing air defense systems with Skynex.
So far, Qatar and Ukraine remain the only operators of Rheinmetall's Skynex systems. Moreover, the Ukrainian military has demonstrated the system's effectiveness not only against russian drones but also against cruise missiles.
NATO countries tend to prefer Skyranger systems equipped with 30 mm and 35 mm cannons. These countries include Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium, although no firm contract has been signed yet.
The decision reflects that Skynex is largely stationary or truck-based, while Skyranger operates on multiple platforms, including Boxer, Lynx, and ACSV G5. In fact, they are supplied to Ukraine on the Leopard 1 chassis.
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