Rheinmetall has delivered the first Skynex short-range air defense system to the Italian Army, marking Italy’s entry into a new generation of networked, gun-based air defense. The handover, conducted on 18 December at the Comando Artiglieria Controaerei base in Sabaudia, fulfills part of a €73 million contract awarded in January 2025. Italy becomes the first NATO member to field Skynex in a configuration combining the 35 mm Revolver Gun Mk3 with the X-TAR3D radar, reinforcing close-in protection against drones, cruise missiles, and other low-altitude threats. At the core of Skynex is the Oerlikon Skymaster battle management system, which fuses sensor data to generate a comprehensive air picture. The X-TAR3D X-band radar provides detection ranges of up to 50 kilometers and can classify targets from aircraft to small unmanned systems. A typical Skynex fire unit integrates command-and-control, radar, and up to four Revolver Gun Mk3 effectors, each capable of firing around 1,000 rounds per minute with an effective range of approximately 4 kilometers. The guns use AHEAD programmable air-burst ammunition, creating a dense fragment cloud that is highly effective against small, fast, or maneuvering targets at a lower cost per engagement than missiles. The early delivery, ahead of the originally expected 2026 timeframe, reflects Europe’s urgency in strengthening short-range air defense amid lessons from Ukraine, where Skynex systems have been used to counter drones and cruise missiles.
