His company benefits from Putin’s war of aggression and is supposed to deliver what will trigger the “turn of the era”: Armin Papperger (59), head of Germany’s armaments giant Rheinmetall. Sales 2022: 6.4 billion euros, with a strong upward trend. Ukraine in particular is hoping for Papperger’s range of tanks (e.g. Marder, Leopard) in these weeks.
BILD am SONNTAG: Mr. Papperger, how many martens do you still have in the yard that can now be delivered to the Ukraine?
Armin Papperger: “Until recently, we had a total of around 140 martens in our stocks. 40 of them are earmarked for Greece because Athens has handed over Soviet-designed armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. The first tranche of 20 martens has already been fully repaired and most of it has been delivered to Athens. Now the next 20 are in the final stages of machining in our workshops.”
Boxer Wheeled Armored Vehicle: The Australian Armed Forces Boxer wheeled armored reconnaissance vehicle is armed with a 30mm autocannon
How long does the marten repair take?
Papperger: “We work on each of the 40 martens for Greece for six months. The remaining 100 vehicles are in a worse condition, so it takes more like seven to eight months.”
How fast can you deliver to Ukraine if Greece is at the back?
Papperger: “Of course we could give the remaining 20 martens planned for Greece to the Ukraine in a timely manner. Other vehicles would follow in April because we are working under high pressure. The fastest way would be: The Bundeswehr gives the Ukraine its Marders, you then fill in the gap with your repaired tanks. That would be one possibility. But only the federal government can make this decision. We are ready. But so far the government has not informed us where the 40 martens promised to Ukraine will come from.”
Wheeled Howitzer: The 155mm gun mounted on an HX truck is fast moving. The howitzer has a fully automatic, remote-controlled artillery turret
Ukraine also desperately wants Leopard main battle tanks. How many of these can you supply?
Papperger: “We still have 22 Leopard 2 vehicles that we could prepare for use and deliver to the Ukraine. We still have around 88 vehicles from the Leopard 1. But we cannot repair these tanks without an order, as the costs are several hundred million euros. Rheinmetall cannot finance that in advance.”
Lynx: The combat support vehicle has a crane, winch, snow blade and can refuel other vehicles. It supports the pioneers in action
How long would it take to restore the Leopard tanks?
Papperger: “Just under a year. The vehicles are not only repainted, but also have to be converted for use in war. They are completely disassembled and then rebuilt. This means that even if the decision is made tomorrow that we can send our Leopard tanks to Kyiv, delivery will take until the beginning of next year.”
Can Leopard tanks really help Ukraine win the war?
Papperger: “The Leopard main battle tank is hugely important for offensives and reclaiming territory. With battle tanks, an army can break through enemy lines and end a prolonged trench warfare. With the Leopard, the soldiers can advance tens of kilometers at a time.”
Fox: The fox is used for troop transport and as a protected medical vehicle. This model can transport four wounded
Ukraine is running out of ammunition for the German Gepard anti-aircraft tank. When can you deliver?
Papperger: “We will have finished producing the first lot (tranche, ed.) of ammunition in June/July. By the middle of next year we will have delivered 300,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine. That’s a lot, so let’s hope Ukraine’s cheetah ammunition problem is solved.”
The government is investing 100 billion euros in upgrading the Bundeswehr. But the armaments purchases are only starting slowly. Is politics, the armed forces or industry too slow?
Leopard 2: The Leopard 2 is considered one of the best main battle tanks in the world. It is armed with a 120mm cannon. Rheinmetall produces ammunition of various calibers for tanks and artillery
Papperger: “The critics make it too easy for themselves. We don’t have martial law in Germany, so normal review loops for armaments contracts must be observed. We work very well together with the procurement office of the Bundeswehr, the Federal Chancellor and also the Minister of Defence. So far, things are going pretty well with the €100 billion package. In the first quarter of this year we will complete the negotiations for the land vehicles of the Bundeswehr, specifically the heavy infantry weapon carrier and the air landing platform.”
Have you hired new employees since the Ukraine war?
Papperger: “1200 men and women.”
Puma: The Puma infantry fighting vehicle is intended to replace the Marder. Despite numerous technical glitches, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) wants to stick with the Puma after an extensive damage analysis
The Rheinmetall share is soaring. Are you a war profiteer?
Papperger: “The term is completely wrong. We deliver material to protect our country and our NATO allies. We are crisis workers, not war profiteers. But you personally also benefit from the record share price and the increased sales with your salary. The management at Rheinmetall does have target agreements. But if the goal is reached, there will be no salary increases beyond that. Therefore, my employees and I do not benefit from the war in Ukraine. “
This article comes from BILD am SONNTAG. The ePaper of the entire issue is available here.