Germany approved Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled guns sale to Ukraine
The Federal Government of Germany has approved the sale to Ukraine of 100 self-propelled artillery units Panzerhaubitze 2000 manufactured by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW).
It is reported by Spiegel.
It is noted that on July 13, German Vice Chancellor, Robert Habeck, gave his consent to self-propelled guns sale, but this information was confirmed by KMW only now. Ukraine sent a request for the purchase of PzH 2000 back in April.
According to the KMW representative, the total value of the contract for 100 self-propelled artillery units for Ukraine is 1.7 billion euros. It is several times more than the total value of all weapons provided by Germany (600 million euros).
It is expected that the production of all self-propelled guns will last several years, the German manufacturer notes. They indicate that the process will begin immediately and, although it will depend on the supply of the necessary materials, all its nuances have already been agreed upon with the Ukrainian side.
As a reminder, Ukraine has already received several PzH 2000s from Germany. They are considered one of the most modern self-propelled artillery systems in the world, capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 40 kilometers and firing at a rate of up to 10 rounds per minute.
Earlier, it became known that Germany handed over three promised MARS-II multiple rocket launcher systems and three Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled artillery systems to Ukraine.
In recent weeks, Berlin has been criticized for the slow supply of weapons to Ukraine, particularly through the so-called circular exchange scheme. German government officials themselves acknowledged supply problems.
The German government previously published a list of weapons being prepared for transfer to Ukraine. It includes, in particular, 30 Gepard self-propelled artillery systems, IRIS-T SLM air defense systems, and M113 armored personnel carriers.
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