According to Spiegel, the German government approved the sale of 100 Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers, and on July 11, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann requested permission from the state to manufacture weapons, and on July 13, the company received it. According to Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, the deal is worth €1.7 billion, production will begin immediately, and the contract will take several years to complete.
Panzerhaubitze 2000 are considered the most powerful and modern howitzers in the world. Previously, the Ukrainian military was trained to work with the Panzerhaubitze 2000, and now several howitzers from the Bundeswehr are already serving on the Ukrainian front. It is worth noting that Germany handed over howitzers to Ukraine on the condition that the Ukrainian Armed Forces would not use them against targets on Russian territory.
The mega-deal between Ukraine and Germany indicates a change in the federal course. Since the Bundeswehr no longer has the ability to transfer weapons from its balance sheet, the state hopes to develop a direct relationship between the customer (Ukraine) and the manufacturer. Thus, deals have already been made for the production of thousands of anti-tank weapons of the Matador type and the Iris-T anti-aircraft system, the delivery of which is scheduled for late autumn this year.
"According to company circles, one can be optimistic in this regard. In any case, there are enough shots. The howitzer is produced at a facility in Germany that the company does not want to make public," Spiegel.
KMW says each party has agreed upon the terms of the deal. Production will begin soon, and the main request for today is the purchase of a sufficient amount of materials: armour steel, pipes for military equipment, etc.
