military aid
Panzerhaubitze 2000: Ukrainians arrived for training
A Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000 for short) of the Bundeswehr during the international exercise “Wettiner Heide”. Photo: Philipp Schulze/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Germany is now speeding up military aid to Ukraine. Without public, dozens of soldiers landed in Rhineland-Palatinate on Tuesday for training on what is probably the most modern artillery system at the moment.
Ukrainian soldiers have arrived in Germany for training on the Panzerhaubitze 2000. The future crews of the weapon system and technical experts landed in Rhineland-Palatinate on Tuesday.
They are to be briefed on Wednesday in training at the Bundeswehr Artillery School in Idar-Oberstein, as the German Press Agency learned from government circles in Berlin.
To defend against the Russian attack, Germany and the Netherlands want to hand over a total of twelve self-propelled howitzers to the Ukraine. They are each served by five soldiers. The number of soldiers planned for the training is therefore more than 60. There are also technical experts and translators.
According to dpa information, the soldiers started in Poland and were flown to Zweibrücken Airport in a Bundeswehr transport plane that could be tracked on the Internet. According to earlier information, the training should last around 40 days, or less depending on the level of knowledge of the soldiers. You have to learn how to drive the self-propelled howitzer, shoot it and troubleshoot its operation.
Long dispute over the supply of heavy weapons
A self-propelled howitzer is a heavy artillery system with a cannon on a tracked vehicle, similar to a tank. With standard ammunition, the self-propelled howitzer achieves 2000 firing distances of 30 kilometers. According to the Bundeswehr, with so-called range-enhanced ammunition, even 40 kilometers are possible. The crew can therefore fire up to six grenades in such a way that they hit at the same time. «The Panzerhaubitze 2000 is one of the most modern artillery pieces in the world. Their strength lies in their precision and in their large combat distance.
Practitioners explain that, in combination with reconnaissance results, the Ukrainian troops can achieve significant impact hits at greater distances. Supporters of deliveries point out that Europe’s future order could be decided in the Ukraine war. A Russian victory must therefore be prevented. Others warn that Germany could be dragged into the war with such supplies.
There was a long dispute in Germany about the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine. The Bundestag finally passed a joint motion by the governing traffic light parties and the CDU/CSU opposition.