The UK strategic advisor to Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG (German arms industry company), Nicholas Drummond, reported that the company started to produce the RCH 155 remote controlled howitzer for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The artillery will be supplied as German military assistance for Ukraine. In fact, Germany initiated a mass production of modern artillery that is not even in service with the Bundeswehr yet.
The Federal Government of Germany announced 18 the RCH 155 howitzers supply for Ukraine back in December 2022. The terms were not officially disclosed. But German media noted that the manufacturing process will be completed by 2025. The total amount is 216 million euros, 12 million for each.
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A systematic development of the PzH 2000 howitzer, the RCH 155 howitzer is a lighter, more flexible and long-range artillery weapon, which provides a high level of protection for the crew of 2 people. It is equipped with remote-controllable Artillery Gun Module. The combat weight is 39 tons, the possible speed on the road – 100 km per hour, the road range – 700 km. Ammunition supply is 30 primed projectiles/144 modular charges with a direct access. These characteristics make the RCH 155 howitzer a perfect equipment to facilitate “shoot and scoot” operations.
In reality, 3 years is not a big period for German military industry, considering Hungarian order on 24 units of the PzH 2000 howitzers. The contract had been signed in 2018. First 2 guns Hungary got 4 years later. And the PzH 2000 howitzers mass production was fully worked out.
On the other hand, KMW can possibly try to produce and deliver the howitzers for Ukraine faster because of the rivalry on the arms market.
For instance, Swiss Armed Forces have started final phase of the future artillery system competition to replace the M109 KAWEST self-propelled howitzers in August 2022. The ARCHER artillery system and the RCH 155 howitzer are the finalists. Moreover, Lithuania demonstratively refused to buy additional PzH 2000 howitzers in June 2022. They were replaced with French CAESAR self-propelled howitzers.
The CAESAR SPG production cycle takes 36 months. The Ministry of Defense of France plans to reduce the time to 24 months. Taking into account the desire of all countries to receive required arms at all costs, there is hope that German RCH 155 howitzers will be in service with Ukraine sooner than expected.
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