Rheinmetall to equip 22 German howitzers with parts in resupply order

COLOGNE, Germany — German defense company Rheinmetall won a contract to supply parts for 22 new Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers, part of a plan by the government to replenish weapon stocks previously donated to Ukraine.

Worth €135 million (U.S. $145 million), the deal was awarded by KNDS Germany, the armed force’s general contractor for the self-propelled weapon system, Rheinmetall said in a statement. Deliverables include vehicle undercarriages and L52 guns with a 155mm caliber.

Soldiers of the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, should expected to see the first completed howitzers arrive in their formations in mid-2025, according to Rheinmetall.

“This contract emphasizes Rheinmetall’s expertise as a technology leader for 155mm artillery weapons as well as a high-performing partner in tracked vehicle construction,” the company statement reads.

Germany donated 14 of its howitzers to Ukraine, a key capability especially at a time when then front line was fairly static. More recently, though, Ukrainian officials have lamented a shortage in ammunition to fire from their donated Western artillery pieces, and Russian forces have achieved some breakthroughs along the long front line in eastern Ukraine.

European nations have reacted with an unprecedented push to produce artillery munitions for Ukraine and for their own use, though some of the ramp-up in output will take years to materialize.

Sebastian Sprenger is associate editor for Europe at Defense News, reporting on the state of the defense market in the region, and on U.S.-Europe cooperation and multi-national investments in defense and global security. Previously he served as managing editor for Defense News. He is based in Cologne, Germany.

德国科隆——德国国防公司莱茵金属赢得了一份合同，将为 22 门新型 Panzerhaubitze 2000 榴弹炮提供零部件，这是德国政府补充此前捐赠给乌克兰的武器库存计划的一部分。

莱茵金属公司在一份声明中表示，这份价值1.35亿欧元（约合1.45亿美元）的合同由德国国防工业公司（KNDS Germany）授予，该公司是德国武装部队自行武器系统的总承包商。合同内容包括车辆底盘和155毫米口径的L52型火炮。

据莱茵金属公司称，德国联邦国防军的士兵们有望在 2025 年年中看到首批完工的榴弹炮抵达部队。

“这份合同凸显了莱茵金属公司作为155毫米火炮武器技术领导者的专业实力，以及其作为履带车辆制造领域高效合作伙伴的地位，”该公司声明中写道。

德国向乌克兰捐赠了14门榴弹炮，这在当时战线相对稳定的情况下至关重要。然而，最近乌克兰官员抱怨其捐赠的西方火炮弹药短缺，而俄罗斯军队在乌克兰东部漫长的战线上取得了一些突破。

欧洲各国以前所未有的力度加大力度生产炮弹，以供乌克兰和本国使用，尽管部分增产措施需要数年时间才能实现。

塞巴斯蒂安·斯普伦格是《防务新闻》欧洲版副主编，负责报道该地区的防务市场状况，以及美欧在防务和全球安全领域的合作和多国投资。此前，他曾担任《防务新闻》执行主编。他现居德国科隆。