Valhalla Turrets Unveils Concept for New Skythunder Counter-Drone System With 20mm Gatling Gun

Slovenian turret maker Valhalla Turrets announced a new version of its Skythunder air defense system as "coming soon," releasing concept renders showing the counter-drone platform mounted on a 6×6 Oshkosh FMTV truck chassis. The new Skythunder variant pairs General Dynamics Land Systems’ three-barrel 20 mm M197 Gatling gun—the same cannon used on U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters—with 70 mm laser-guided rockets for targets beyond the gun's effective range. According to Valhalla, the modular system features full 360-degree radar coverage to detect and track low-flying targets and can integrate into wider layered air defense networks for critical infrastructure protection. The lighter 20 mm configuration follows Valhalla's June 2026 unveiling of the Skythunder 300 at Eurosatory in Paris, which mounted a 30 mm MK44S Bushmaster cannon, a 7.62 mm M134D Gatling gun, and Arnold Defense laser-guided rockets on a Mercedes-Benz Zetros 8×8 truck. Ljubljana-based Valhalla also unveiled its MANGART 25 AD turret on a Patria 8×8 vehicle in May 2026, integrated a turret onto a General Dynamics European Land Systems ASCOD tracked vehicle in August 2026, and supplied the turret for Azerbaijani defense firm Zireh's HMS30 mobile system capable of engaging drones at about 1.5 to 2 km.