This can be shot in the arm Ukraine needs in terms of air defense capabilities, after German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall AG announced that it had managed to relocate the manufacturing process of its 35mm air-burst munitions from Switzerland to Germany for its Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. It followed Switzerland’s refusal to sell those rounds to Ukraine over its stated policy of neutrality.
Since last year, Ukraine has relied heavily on German-provided Gepard cannons against low-flying Russian drones and missiles. Highly mobile and easy to operate, these weapons have become part of the multi-layered Ukrainian air defenses that allow the country to keep more advanced surface-to-air missiles for higher-end threats.
The Gepards have been running out of ammunition because of Switzerland’s tight rules on exports and Germany having none to spare. Rheinmetall’s solution had been to take existing 35mm ammunition from infantry fighting vehicles and modify it to work with the Gepard’s fire control unit.
“Despite their excellent performance, the electronics and fire control technology of the aging antiaircraft tank, developed in the 1960s, proved to be a veritable black box. At the same time, the supply chain for the new ammunition had to be expanded to minimize as far as possible the Swiss value-added share,” Rheinmetall said.
Shortly after the company had successfully test-fired the modified ammunition in May, Rheinmetall announced on Monday that the first lot of 35mm rounds is now on its way to Ukraine. The company is planning delivery of 40,000 rounds by the end of this year, with a total of 300,000 rounds split equally between armor-piercing (APDS-T) and high-explosive (HEI-T) projectiles.
The arrival of new ammunition for the Gepards comes at the right time for the Ukrainian military, currently waging a slow-going and bloody counteroffensive in the east and south. Drones have been an increasingly ubiquitous threat on the front lines, as Russia increases domestic production and analysts warn of larger-scale unmanned attacks on Ukrainian targets.
The air defense network of Ukraine today is more powerful and complex compared to what it was one year ago, and therefore, such an expanded drone attack can still be very potent. Additional 35mm ammunition for the Gepards will let these cannons keep a high rate of fire against Russian drones and hence free other air-defense capabilities to deal with other threats.
As Rheinmetall noted, “For Ukraine, they play a crucial role in the fight for control of its air space. They are almost permanently in action, making ammunition consumption correspondingly high.” The German manufacturer’s move to secure a steady supply of ammo for these vital weapons will no doubt help improve Ukraine’s capability to defend its skies against continuing Russian aggression.