Skynex
Rheinmetall's gun-based short-range air-defence system, firing 35mm rounds at drones and missiles.
On 19 August 2026, Rheinmetall used Skynex with passive radar at a German Air Force exercise, showing how its gun-based air-defence system can join a wider counter-drone network.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for Skynex
Mentioned in: German federal police buy anti-drone kit
Drones: Industry & DefencePassive radar aims a Skynex battery
Drones: Industry & DefenceBackground
Skynex is Rheinmetall's gun-based short-range air-defence system for engaging drones, loitering munitions, missiles and mortar rounds. Its relevance rests on the renewed need for close-in defence against small, cheap aerial threats that can evade more costly interceptors.
The system combines sensors, a command POST and 35mm Revolver Gun Mk3 cannons. Rheinmetall demonstrated its Skymaster command system taking an air picture from HENSOLDT's Twinvis passive radar during a German Air Force exercise on 19 August 2026.
That integration matters because Skynex can operate as part of a wider sensor and command network rather than as an isolated gun battery. Germany's federal police instead bought separate drone detection and defeat equipment in September 2026, underlining the distinct military role of an integrated short-range air-defence system.
