The armaments company Rheinmetall has delivered ammunition for the anti-aircraft tank “Gepard” to Ukraine for the first time. A total of 40,000 cartridges are to be manufactured and made available by the end of the year.
For the first time, Rheinmetall has delivered newly produced ammunition for the “Gepard” anti-aircraft vehicle in Ukraine. Further batches are to follow, by the end of the year there will be a total of 40,000 shots. The armaments company was commissioned in February this year to deliver a total of 300,000 rounds of ammunition worth 168 million euros. The “Cheetah” is armed with a twin 35mm cannon.
Since the consumption is very high due to the intense fighting at the front, the attacked country needed more ammunition. It is paid for by the federal government, which provided Ukraine with 46 “Gepard” tanks. Six more models of the anti-aircraft tank, which was decommissioned by the Bundeswehr around 15 years ago and developed in the 1960s, have been promised.
Manufacturing was rebuilt
Rheinmetall used to manufacture the cartridges in Switzerland. However, the country refuses to hand over military goods to Ukraine, citing the requirement of neutrality, which is why the group had to rebuild and partially redevelop ammunition production in Germany. In order to recreate the original type of ammunition, the earlier tools were simply missing, Rheinmetall said: “The existing 35mm ammunition for the on-board weapon of an armored personnel carrier was made usable for the ‘Gepard’ through suitable adaptations.”
Production is at the Rheinmetall plant in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony. Half of the “cheetah” ammunition consists of two types: one is explosive incendiary ammunition, which is used to shoot down enemy drones, helicopters and planes. In addition, Rheinmetall produces sub-caliber ammunition with heavy metal arrows, which are suitable for use against armored vehicles.
“I am pleased that we got the production started so quickly and unbureaucratically,” said Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD). “We will continue to support Ukraine in the areas that are our strengths: artillery, ammunition and ground-based air defense.”
Do Lufthansa and Rheinmetall cooperate?
According to a media report, the armaments group, which generated sales of 6.4 billion euros last year, will in future work with Lufthansa’s technology division on the maintenance of the F35 stealth bomber.
The cooperation is to be sealed on September 19, as the “Business Insider” writes. Spokesmen from Rheinmetall and Lufthansa Technik did not want to comment on the report today. The Bavarian electronic systems provider ESG should also be on board.
Rheinmetall wants aeronautical engineering strengthen
From 2025, Rheinmetall wants to produce center fuselage parts for the American F35 fighter plane in a new factory in Weeze (NRW). With the deal, the tank manufacturer wants to significantly strengthen its previously small aviation technology division.
So far, Rheinmetall has been manufacturing drones, and the manufacture of the important component of the ultra-modern aircraft is a new product line. Up to 450 jobs are to be created in the new factory. Rheinmetall is a contractor for the US armaments group Northrop Grumman, which in turn works for Lockheed Martin.
Lufthansa Technik has been maintaining the aircraft of the Air Force’s flight readiness service for many years and intends to become more involved in the defense business in the future. In particular, the Hamburg company could take over the maintenance of the aircraft and the supply of spare parts, as they have been doing for civil companies for many years.