To strengthen Ukrainian artillery, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has handed over the first new wheeled RCH 155 howitzer to Ukraine.
This was reported by Stuttgarter Zeitung.
Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev symbolically accepted the first of 54 wheeled howitzers planned for Ukraine.
"Ukraine can count on us, and this is a signal. Germany is ready to take responsibility in Europe," Pistorius stated in Kassel, where the tank-building company KNDS manufactures this weapon system.
The first six systems will initially remain in Germany to train Ukrainian soldiers.
"We don’t need intermediaries; we need allies. Peace must be fought for. It’s good to know that Germany stands with Ukraine," the Ukrainian ambassador remarked regarding potential negotiations to end the war.
KNDS is a merger of the traditional German company KMW and the French arms company Nexter. The company describes its development as "the world's most advanced wheeled howitzer," which, for the first time, enables firing while moving.
The gun turret can be operated remotely, allowing it to be controlled externally. The crew of the highly automated artillery system consists of only two soldiers.
The howitzer is a 155mm gun mounted on an armored four-axle wheeled vehicle ("8x8") and will later also be delivered to the German Army, which expects this wheeled system for faster deployment. KNDS also manufactures the Panzerhaubitze 2000, a tracked artillery installation.
The agreement between the Franco-German arms consortium KNDS and Ukraine for the supply of 54 RCH 155 howitzers became known last summer.
In early June 2024, KNDS announced plans to establish a subsidiary in Ukraine.
