There is currently a shortage of funding for providing military aid to Ukraine. With the necessary funds available, far more could be supplied, including additional air defense systems, ammunition, and even tanks.
Rheinmetall CEO stated this in an interview with Table Today. The German concern manufactures a wide range of weapons and is among the suppliers to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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Defense Express notes that this can indeed be agreed with. As an example, we can recall the KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles, which could not be financedfor Ukraine for some time, and then only five units were paid for.
However, it should not be forgotten that today Germany has arguably become the largest provider of military aid to Ukraine. This involves both the transfer of equipment from stocks as well as financing orders from German and even Ukrainian defense industries.
In other words, the Defense Forces' needs are enormous and remain unmet despite all German efforts. This could be resolved by attracting additional funding, which could come from other partner countries as well as from frozen russian assets, as with the Skyranger 35 systems.
There is another important point: Rheinmetall's own interest, as it already supplies a large amount of its products to Ukraine. This includes Shahed-hunting Skyranger and Skynex anti-aircraft guns, ammunition, KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles, and more. Some have already proven themselves well on the battlefield.
At the same time, tanks sound like a rather questionable option. The KF51 Panther created by the company was previously promoted to the Defense Forces with potential localization. However, deliveries to the first customer, Italy, will begin in 2029, and the tank is still under development.
Modern tanks are quite expensive while remaining poorly adapted to drone warfare. Therefore, it is important that if additional funding for military aid to Ukraine appears, it should be spent on actual needs.
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