Months of combat use left their mark on the heavy weapons delivered from Germany – even to the point of defects. Now a remedy is being created in Slovakia.
With a new repair center near Slovakia’s border with Ukraine, governments and the armaments industry want to ensure the continued use of heavy weapons to defend against the Russian war of aggression. The base has started operations, Brigadier General Christian Freuding, head of the Ukraine special staff at the Defense Ministry, told the German Press Agency in the city of Kosice in eastern Slovakia.
The tank builder Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) is now organizing the repair of large weapons in the region that were worn out or damaged in the fighting in the Ukraine, such as the Panzerhaubitze 2000. The basis is an intergovernmental agreement between Slovakia and the federal government.
“Good cooperation based on partnership”
“For us, this is a very important contribution to supporting the Ukrainian armed forces. We can help ensure that the weapon systems we have handed over and have used so successfully are permanently operational,” said Freuding, who has been visiting Slovakia since Sunday. And: “It is also an example of the good and cooperative partnership between Slovakia and Germany.”
Germany has so far handed over 14 Panzerhaubitze 2000, 5 Mars multiple rocket launchers and 30 Gepard anti-aircraft gun tanks to Ukraine. There are still 7 more cheetahs to be delivered. In addition, 50 Dingo-type armored personnel carriers were provided. In a first step, the repair work is concentrating on this military device, with weapons from other manufacturers being handed over to the Ukraine from Germany.
The repair base (“hub”) is located within a barracks compound near the town of Michalovce. From there it is almost 40 kilometers to the Ukraine. The weapons were last repaired in Lithuania.
No Panzerhaubitze 2000 destroyed by Russians yet
During combat use, the wear and tear is considerable due to the high rate of fire, as experts have found using the Panzerhaubitze 2000 as an example. The weapon systems are therefore used at the limit of resilience “and beyond”. A technical maintenance service as in peacetime could not be maintained under the intensity of the battle.
The Ukrainians swear by the firepower of the Panzerhaubitze 2000 and the rapid readiness to fire after a position change to prevent counterattacks, it said. So far – according to everything that can be known in Germany – no Panzerhaubitze 2000 has been destroyed by the Russians.
The damage patterns due to the intensive use have now been examined in more detail. The self-propelled howitzer proved to be robust even under these circumstances – more robust than had been thought, it was said. It is considered one of the most modern artillery pieces in the world, but as a system it is already 25 years old. Some components are now difficult to obtain. Because of the bottlenecks, a decision may have to be made as to whether spare parts will be used for the fight in Ukraine or for the operational readiness of the Bundeswehr weapons.
Shooting distances of up to 40 kilometers
The self-propelled howitzer is a heavy artillery system with a cannon mounted on a tracked vehicle – resembling a tank. With standard ammunition, the self-propelled howitzer can fire from a distance of 30 kilometers, with range-enhanced ammunition 40 kilometers are possible, according to the Bundeswehr.
Germany will also provide Ukraine with new Vulcano precision-guided artillery shells that can change trajectory and increase accuracy. several hundred of the projectiles are to be handed over in the coming months.
Source: Stern
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