Germany has signed contracts with the Rheinmetall concern to renew the manufacture of ammunition for Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, which it earlier supplied to Ukraine, according to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, cited by Reuters.
"We will quickly start our own production of Gepard ammunition at Rheinmetall. I am very happy we have been able to guarantee the delivery of this important part of air defense," Pistorius said on Feb. 14 before a meeting of NATO ministers in Brussels.
According to the German Federal Government, Berlin has already supplied 32 Gepard guns to Ukraine, including about 6,000 rounds of ammunition.
Pistorius promised five more Gepards for Ukraine on Feb. 7, but his country has been struggling for months to find additional munitions for these anti-aircraft tanks, which its own military had decommissioned in 2010.
Germany will also provide Ukraine with more guided missiles and five Pioneer Panzer 2A1 Dachs combat support vehicles by the end of February, according to Pistorius.
Gepard guns have become an effective weapon against Iranian Shahed-136 drones Russia is using to attack Ukraine's infrastructure, German Embassy in Ukraine said in November.
