Newly announced military aid package from the German federal government includes essential air defense equipment: missiles for IRIS-T SLM systems, bullets for Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns but most importantly, a brand new Skynex battery. This air defense unit is tailored to efficiently take down low-flying targets like cruise missiles or Shahed-136 drones in short range.
With a maximum rate of fire up to 1,000 rpm and the practical need to spend only a few shots to take down one of those slow-moving threats, the new air defense system will soon become an irreplaceable asset integrated into the larger air defense capability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Read more: Germany Sends SKYNEX System, 10 Marder IFVs, IRIS-T Ammunition and More to Ukraine
Even Germany's Bundeswehr doesn't have any of those novel systems yet as they go from the manufacturer straight to Ukraine.
A battery consists of four Revolver Gun Mk3 units receiving target data from the X-TAR3D Tactical Acquisition Radar and a command post. Importantly, Skynex can operate either as an autonomous unit or in coordination with other systems united in a single air defense contour.
In practice, it can be deployed for coverage of important stationary installations and can effectively deal with saturation attacks where a multitude of enemy threats are incoming all at once. The drawbacks are its relatively close engagement range of 4 km and low mobility.
With this supply, Germany has already delivered two out of four Skynex systems committed by the Federal Government. Notably, the remaining two were ordered just a few months ago, as part of the EUR 1.1 billion military aid package announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz on February 16th, 2024.
Rheinmetall, the manufacturer, confirmed it had been commissioned "a further contract to supply Skynex air defense systems to a European customer," the delivery estimated over the course of 2025.
Meanwhile, Germany continues to search for Patriot systems worldwide so it can acquire and hand them over to Ukraine, and send Patriots from its own inventory to help Ukrianians in repelling missile strikes, particularly with the use of ballistic missiles Iskander and Kh-47 Kinzhal.
Read more: ATACMS Strikes on Crimea Become Systematic: Targets are Air Defenses and Airfields
