Germany hands over first of 54 promised RCH 155 howitzers to Ukraine
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has handed over the first RCH 155 wheeled howitzer to Ukrainian defenders as part of the reinforcement of Ukrainian artillery, with Germany promising to provide 54 pieces in total.
"Ukraine can count on us, and this is a signal. And Germany is ready to take responsibility in Europe," Pistorius said, as quoted by German newspaper Stuttgarter Zeitung.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Oleksii Makeiev symbolically accepted the first of 54 howitzers planned for Ukraine.
The first six of these systems will initially remain in Germany and will be used to train Ukrainian soldiers.
"We do not need mediators; we need allies. We need to fight for peace. It's nice to know that Germany is on the side of Ukraine," Makeiev said about possible 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 allows firing while on the move. The gun turret can be remotely controlled, meaning it can be operated from the outside. The crew of the new and largely automated artillery system is to consist of two soldiers.
The howitzer, a 155mm gun on an armoured wheeled vehicle with four axles (8x8), will also be delivered to the German army, which is also looking forward to the system on wheels for faster deployment. KNDS is also constructing the Panzerhaubitze 2000, a tracked artillery system.
Last summer, it became known that the Franco-German arms company KNDS had an agreement with Ukraine to supply 54 RCH 155 howitzers.
In early June 2024, KNDS announced plans to establish a subsidiary in Ukraine.