The German company Rheinmetall has announced plans to supply weapons and equipment to Ukraine for 2024-2025. The planned supplies include ammunition, tanks, armored personnel carriers, air defense systems and other equipment, the company’s press service reports.
“Rheinmetall is the only defense contractor capable of supplying the Ukrainian military with a large number of new medium and large caliber ammunition, including 20-mm for the Marder infantry fighting vehicle, 40-mm ammunition, as well as 105-mm for the Leopard 1 tank and 120-mm tank ammunition for the Leopard 2,” the statement said.
The company recalled that by the end of 2023, 40,000 out of 300,000 rounds of 35-mm ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft tank had also been manufactured and delivered.
“Moreover, Rheinmetall is an important strategic partner of Ukraine in the supply of 155-mm artillery ammunition: several tens of thousands of shells have already been delivered, and tens of thousands more will be delivered in 2024. In December 2023, the German government also placed an order with Rheinmetall for the supply of several tens of thousands of ammunition in 2025,” the statement said.
In addition to Germany, another NATO member state has commissioned Rheinmetall to supply Ukraine with a large quantity of 155 ammunition rounds. The shells will be produced by the Spanish manufacturer Rheinmetall Expal Munitions and are to be delivered in 2025.
In addition, in 2024, it is planned to supply “in the double-digit range” of Marder armored personnel carriers, 24 Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks, as well as 5 armored evacuation vehicles and two Leopard 1 tanks for training. Another 14 Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks will be delivered on behalf of the governments of the Netherlands and Denmark.
Deliveries of Skynex air defense systems are also expected to continue.
In addition, a second rescue station (NATO Role 1 standard) and SurveilSPIRE drone defense systems are planned to be delivered.
“In addition to short-term deliveries of military equipment, in the long term Ukraine will need assistance in rebuilding its defense industry and reorienting production to Western standards. Therefore, in October 2023, Rheinmetall established a joint venture with the Ukrainian state-owned company Ukrainian Defense Industry JSC (formerly Ukroboronprom) in Kyiv – Rheinmetall Ukrainian Defense Industry LLC, the company added.
Currently, maintenance and repair work is already underway on military vehicles; in the second phase, Ukraine will also produce armored vehicles, such as Fuchs/Fox armored personnel carriers, Lynx infantry fighting vehicles and Panther main battle tanks.
“The goal is to turn Ukraine into an effective partner, rebuild its once powerful defense sector and ensure its strategic autonomy,” the statement emphasizes.
air defense systems, LEOPARD TANKS, RHEINMETALL, shells, Skynex
The German company Rheinmetall applied to the German Federal Government with another application for the export of 88 tanks Type 1A5 Leopard to Ukraine, the Welt newspaper reported, citing documents provided by the manufacturer.
According to the edition, the application was submitted at the end of last week. Delivery could take place in a few weeks if German Chancellor Olaf Scholz decides.
In addition, earlier bids from Rheinmetall for 100 Marder armored personnel carriers and from Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Group for 100 PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers were sent for approval.
It is noted that the decision on deliveries is approved by the Federal Security Council, which is headed by the chancellor. So far, Scholz has not agreed to direct deliveries of heavy weapons to Ukraine.
The cost of used Leopard 1A5 tanks, which can be delivered to Ukraine, is about EUR 115 million. Together with Marder BMPs and self-propelled howitzers, the amount of heavy weaponry aid to Ukraine could amount to more than EUR 2 billion.
