The “Skyranger Oerlikon” air defense system from the German company Rheinmetall was developed in Zurich and has aroused the interest of numerous European commanders-in-chief.
Rheinmetall Air Defence AG/ Angela Blattner
The “Skyranger Oerlikon” is an efficient drone defense system. The whole of Europe wants to buy the air defense system developed in Zurich. Switzerland, on the other hand, is taking its time with the procurement: because there is no money.
- The “Skyranger” air defense system is one of the most modern drone killers on the market. It was developed in Zurich.
- Europe is arming its armies with it, especially after Russia’s drone attack on Poland. Germany alone wants to order up to 600 of them
- The Swiss Armed Forces, on the other hand, are taking their time with procurement, even though Switzerland currently has virtually no functioning drone defense system.
It is an efficient weapon for defending against drone attacks, and it was developed in Zurich: The whole of Europe wants to buy the “Skyranger”. Germany has already ordered 19 systems, with the option of 30 more.
The manufacturer Rheinmetall expects the German armed forces to order a total of 600 units. Austria, Denmark, Hungary, the Netherlands and most recently Poland have also expressed interest.
And Switzerland? It cannot afford the “Skyranger”. At least procurement before 2030 is not an issue, reports the “Aargauer Zeitung”.
Switzerland is defenceless
Yet a functioning drone defense system is urgently needed. A Russian attack on Poland with 19 drones last week not only caused concern within NATO, but also among Swiss politicians. Defense Minister Martin Pfister had to admit: “No, the drones could not have been shot down.”
With its current air defenses, Switzerland would have had no chance of fending off such an attack. This makes it all the more important to equip the army with modern defense weapons, such as the “drone killers” from Rheinmetall. Their “Skyranger” was developed in Oerlikon.
At its heart is a 30 or 35 millimeter cannon controlled by a high-performance radar that can fire special ammunition. The projectiles are programmable and only explode near the target, where they split into 150 projectiles. According to Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papierner, the resulting “shot cloud” should keep “an area of four by four kilometers completely free of drones”.
Another advantage: the “Skyranger” system is mobile and self-sufficient. It can be mounted on various platforms. Its sister system, Skynex, which is not self-sufficient, has been in use in Ukraine since early 2024 and is proving highly effective in the fight against Russian drone attacks.
The federal government lacks the money
A modern drone defense system would be essential for Switzerland, especially after Pfister’s admission of limited to non-existent defense readiness. However, the procurement of new short-range air defense systems is currently not planned until 2032, writes the Aargauer Zeitung.
Only then would the current systems reach the end of their useful life – even if they are already completely unsuitable for modern threat defense. However, money for premature modernization, as demanded by the Pro Militia interest group, is unlikely to be available.
It was only on Wednesday that the Council of States, as the second chamber, rejected a proposal to provide the army with an additional CHF 1 billion for air defense ammunition. The reason given: Although the need was seen, the federal government did not have the money.