Rheinmetall Signs Skyranger 30 Air Defence Contract for Belgium
Belgium ordered 20 Skyranger 30 air defence systems from Rheinmetall to protect critical infrastructure, with deliveries starting in late 2028.
Rheinmetall announced on 9 November a contract to supply 20 Skyranger 30 air defence systems to Belgium, with the company describing the order value as a mid three-digit million euro amount (a vendor-stated figure). Deliveries are scheduled to begin at the end of 2028.
The systems will be installed on hooklift mounts for the static protection of national territory and critical infrastructure, and fully integrated into Belgium's Blue Dome command-and-control architecture. Rheinmetall said the contract was coordinated with the Netherlands and involves Belgian industry in the value chain, and was signed less than 18 months after initial discussions began in June 2025.
The company cited the growing threat posed by drones and small unmanned aircraft as the driver behind the procurement. Belgium had already ordered 16 Skyranger systems for its Ares wheeled vehicles; the new order extends the programme to static infrastructure protection. The award came shortly after a Safran–MSI-Defence Systems memorandum of understanding on naval counter-UAS (4 November) and the EU Drone Summit in Brussels (9–10 November), both reflecting a broader European push against drone threats.