Germany's Rheinmetall plans to ramp up annual production to approximately 400 air defense systems by 2027. These include the Skynex and Skyranger systems, designed to counter drones such as Shahed drones and currently in high demand across Europe and Ukraine.
According to the company's presentation to investors, once the expansion is complete, production will reach eight systems per week. Work is also underway to diversify and strengthen supply chains. In September 2025, the company announced that it had reached an annual production rate of 200 units.
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It should be noted that the company will expand production capacity in Switzerland and Italy to 140 units per year each. In Germany, annual output is expected to reach 100 units. This totals around 380 units, slightly below the 400 initially mentioned.
It is reported that the installation of new equipment is currently underway. According to the schedule, the Swiss production line will have new capabilities operational in the first quarter of 2026, while Italy and Germany will follow in the second and third quarters.
In other words, by the end of this year, Rheinmetall will be able to achieve fairly high production volumes. Given that producing a single system takes just under a year, the full results are expected to materialize in the second or third quarter of 2027.
Meanwhile, order availability remains a key factor, as a battery of four Skynex or Skyranger units still costs around 60 million euros, making it a costly investment. However, Skyranger 30 orders have already come from Germany and the Netherlands. Belgium plans to acquire them for NASAMS protection, with the Bundeswehr requiring 500–600 systems in total. Switzerland, meanwhile, plans to acquire the Skynex.
Switzerland hosts a significant part of the production, which is restricted by local export rules. For instance, Ukraine will not be able to utilize it initially. However, contracts for other countries may be fulfilled there.
Since November 2025, the Ukrainian military has been receiving Skyranger 35s mounted on Leopard 1 chassis. Meanwhile, The Armed Forces of Ukraine are already using Skynex systems, which have proven effective against both drones and cruise missiles.
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