Rheinmetall to send thousands of artillery shells to Ukraine
Armin Papperger, CEO of German weapon manufacturer Rheinmetall, announced that they would supply thousands of artillery shells to Ukraine
The German weapons producer Rheinmetall plans to provide Ukraine with “hundreds of thousands” of projectiles in 2024, encompassing prototypes of artillery shells capable of reaching a distance of 100 kilometers, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said Sunday, according to the German publication Handelsblatt.
At an event hosted by the Association of Business Journalists at the Dusseldorf Industrial Club, Papperger emphasized, “The artillery becomes the game changer.”
He outlined Rheinmetall’s aspiration to dispatch “hundreds of thousands” of artillery shells to Ukraine this year. He added that these shipments would comprise prototypes of extended-range shells capable of reaching 100 kilometers.
“Papperger highlighted that Rheinmetall is placing significant emphasis on artillery manufacturing. Before Russia’s comprehensive invasion, the weapons corporation had an annual capacity of roughly 70,000 shells. Nevertheless, this year, the company anticipates producing 700,000.
Papperger emphasized that artillery production had steadily decreased in the U.S. and Europe in the last few years.
Previously, the company revealed strategies to establish an artillery plant in Ukraine and amenities dedicated to manufacturing military vehicles, ammunition and anti-aircraft weapons.
Over the Munich Security Conference in February, Papperger signed a memorandum of aim with Ukraine’s Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin to produce weapons shells in another joint plant based in Ukraine.
As Russia intensifies aerial assaults on Ukrainian cities and gains footholds along Ukraine’s eastern front line, an important ammunition shortage limits the extent to which the Ukrainian army can respond.
Source: Newsroom
