First German Skyranger 35 mm anti-aircraft gun on Leopard 1 Tank chassis to arrive in Ukraine.

Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger has confirmed that the first Leopard 1-based Skyranger 35 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun is in the logistics pipeline and is expected to reach Ukraine within days. The delivery opens a new chapter in Kyiv’s short-range air defense, pairing surplus Leopard 1 hulls with a modern 35 mm gun and AESA radar to counter drones and cruise missiles around critical infrastructure.

Speaking at Rheinmetall’s Capital Markets Day 2025 on 18 November, CEO Armin Papperger told investors that the first Skyranger 35 turret mounted on a Leopard 1 tank chassis has already left the factory and is moving through the logistics chain toward Ukraine, with arrival expected next week. He framed the shipment as the opening move in a larger European-funded program to strengthen Ukraine’s short-range air defense network ahead of a renewed Russian campaign against the power grid and transport nodes, confirming both the Leopard 1 as the chosen carrier and the Skyranger 35 as a central element in Kyiv’s response to mass drone and cruise missile attacks.
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The Leopard 1 Skyranger 35 fits into the framework Ukraine has already built around Gepard and Skynex batteries, which use the same Rheinmetall 35 mm ammunition family, share similar training pathways, and rely on related supply chains. (Picture source: Rheinmetall)

The Skyranger 35 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) for Ukraine is covered by a contract announced in early October 2025, valued at several hundred million euros and financed by an unidentified European Union (EU) member state using windfall profits from frozen Russian assets. Production and system integration are carried out by Rheinmetall Italia SpA in Rome, embedding the project in an Italian industrial base closely tied to the company’s ground-based air defence activities.

The exact number of vehicles and their final configuration have not been disclosed, but Rheinmetall's statements since September point to an initial batch of Leopard 1-based systems large enough to form at least a mobile air defence battalion tasked with protecting critical infrastructure, forward command posts, and exposed logistics routes. The first unit is delivered as Ukrainian authorities warn of another winter campaign of strikes against the energy grid and transport nodes.

At the core of each Leopard fitted with the Skyranger 35 mm turret is the GDM-008 35 mm automatic cannon, firing 35×228 mm ammunition at up to 1,000 rounds per minute with an effective range of about 4,000 metres against airborne targets. The remote-controlled turret carries 252 ready-to-fire rounds, including programmable fragmentation shells and proximity-fuzed ammunition designed to engage small drones, cruise missiles, and lightly armoured ground targets. In the field of short-range air defence (SHORAD), the Skyranger 35 is designed as a compact solution that delivers a high volume of fire for forces operating in line with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) standards.

A short controlled burst sends a dense pattern of tungsten sub-projectiles in front of an incoming quadcopter or loitering munition, providing a lower-cost response than employing a medium-range surface-to-air missile. The turret was conceived from the outset as a modular combat module able to accept short-range missiles in a later phase, opening the way to a dual-effector architecture combining gun and missile on a single platform.

The sensors and fire-control suite turn the gun system into a short-range air defence node. The Skyranger 35 employs an AMMR (Multi-Mission Radar) active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar operating in the S-band, with five fixed antenna panels providing continuous 360-degree coverage optimised for small unmanned aircraft, low-flying air platforms, and rocket artillery projectiles. Rheinmetall’s Fast InfraRed Search and Track (FIRST) passive detection system, combined with an electro-optical package, allows crews to detect and track targets without emitting radar energy and to switch the radar on only when required.

This configuration supports strict emission control (EMCON) and enables the vehicle to feed data into a wider Recognised Military Picture (RMP) and Common Operational Picture (COP). The system can operate autonomously around a site to be defended or be integrated into a larger command-and-control network, acting as a gap-filler between medium-range ground-based air defence systems and man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), and contributing to a layered defence against the widespread use of low-cost drones on the battlefield.

From a tactical perspective, the choice of the Leopard 1 chassis is as important as the armament and sensors. A legacy tracked main battle tank hull offers mobility and protection that truck-based air defence vehicles cannot match when operating alongside armoured brigades on muddy, snowy, or heavily shelled terrain. Ukrainian commanders can deploy Leopard 1 Skyranger 35 vehicles close to manoeuvre formations, logistics hubs or river crossings to shield them from very low-level threats that have become routine along the front line.

Using a proven but older chassis reflects a pragmatic approach to mobility: the Leopard 1 does not offer the protection of a latest-generation main battle tank, but its availability, ease of maintenance, and existing support infrastructure make it a suitable carrier for air defence missions. Each system can cover an area of roughly 4×4 kilometres, allowing overlapping “drone-free” zones to be established around sensitive sites or high-value assets such as SAMP/T batteries within a layered defence construct.

The Leopard 1 Skyranger 35 fits into the framework Ukraine has already built around Gepard and Skynex batteries, which use the same Rheinmetall 35 mm ammunition family, share similar training pathways, and rely on related supply chains. This logistical and doctrinal continuity eases operational integration and gives Kyiv a coherent basis for developing its mobile ground-based air defence units. The turret is also engineered to accept missiles in a follow-on configuration, supporting a gradual increase in capability as deliveries proceed. Financing a multi-year production run through profits generated by frozen Russian assets functions as an indirect support mechanism for the European defence industrial base, keeping Italian and German production lines active and converting stored Leopard 1 hulls into relevant ground-based air defence assets for Ukraine and for potential future European customers.

The arrival of the first Skyranger 35 on a Leopard 1 chassis heading east illustrates how the war is reshaping ground-based air defence. Low-cost reconnaissance and strike drones, from small quadcopters to medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned systems, are bringing gun systems with programmable ammunition back into planning discussions after decades dominated by missiles and combat aircraft.

For Russia, the presence of tracked short-range air defence vehicles, networked and deployed around Ukrainian manoeuvre formations, complicates the use of drones and low-altitude strike profiles. For Ukraine’s partners, the Leopard 1 Skyranger 35 sent to Ukraine is both another delivery and a live test of how legacy tank hulls, modern sensor suites, and networked gun systems can be combined to strengthen air defence posture and influence capability choices and planning well beyond the current conflict.