The issue was formally raised by German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, after the federal government in Germany approved the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine after prolonged indecision. Making a statement before the international ministerial meeting held at the Ramstein military base of the United States of America (USA) in the Rhineland-Palatinate state, Lambrecht stated that the Gepard type air defense tanks scrapped by the German army will be given to this country to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion, made the first official statement on this matter.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who attended the meeting on behalf of the Washington administration, stated that from now on, his country and its allies will meet regularly once a month for “Ukraine’s self-defense” and “to discuss the needs of Ukraine, which was attacked by Russian troops.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov III. Criticizing his words about World War II and the risk of the use of nuclear weapons, Austin said that every statement about nuclear weapons is “very dangerous” and said, “No one wants a nuclear war. No one can profit from it.” Austin also emphasized that his country, the USA, will do everything in its power to prevent the Ukraine War from spreading beyond Ukraine’s borders and getting out of control.
Effective Gepard tanks in air defense
German arms company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) applied to the federal government for permission to deliver its own Gepard tanks, which have more than 50 tanks in their warehouses, to Ukraine right after Russia’s attack on the neighboring country. German Defense Minister Lambrecht reported that the government responded positively to this request on Monday.
The circles close to the government stated that the tanks in question could be transported directly from the KMW warehouses to Ukraine, and the costs of this would be covered by the German or NATO budget. It is stated that the Gepard tanks, which were scrapped from the inventory of the German army about ten years ago, must be technically overhauled before being sent to Ukraine. Ralf Ketzel, Chairman of the Board of KMW, stated that the tanks “can be made ready for duty quite quickly”.
Especially capable of defending airborne attacks, Gepard tanks can also hit and disable targets on the ground. In the statement made by the German army, it was stated that Gepard tanks with 35 millimeter guns are a “very powerful” system compared to normal tanks.
Meanwhile, according to the news of Bild newspaper, which is based on circles close to the German government, KMW currently has only 23 thousand rounds of ammunition suitable for Gepard tanks. The two main guns of the tanks in question fire 1,100 rounds per minute. The newspaper report claims that for this reason, the German Ministry of Defense and KMW are in search of ammunition and they are in dialogue with Jordan, Romania, Brazil and Qatar, which currently have these tanks actively in their armies.
In addition, security circles reported that, considering the training and supply of ammunition for the Gepard tanks, it will be possible for these tanks to be activated in the war on behalf of Ukraine in June at the earliest.
Objection to criticism from Lambrecht
At the meeting held at Ramstein Base, German Defense Minister Lambrecht also opposed the criticism that Germany did not give enough support to Ukraine, and said, “There have been criticisms against Germany in this regard, but the numbers say different things.” Lambrecht also stated that Germany will intensify their training in artillery systems for Ukrainian troops in Germany. In response to a question about whether Germany should send more weapons to Ukraine, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he believed that his counterpart Lambrecht “will continue to look for ways to provide the Ukrainians with good equipment”.
AFP,dpa / ET,UK