The manufacturer of German self-propelled howitzers has not yet received an order for 100 PzH 2000 ACS, which were supposedly ordered in the summer of 2022.
German journalist Björn Müller reported on this with reference to the words of the official representative of KNDS, which incorporates Krauss Maffei Wegmann.
Ukraine approached Germany about purchasing PzH 2000s in April last year and received approval for the potential sale of 100 self-propelled units from the German government in July. However, it seems that they have not been ordered.
“To date, no contract has been signed for 100 PzH2000s, which Ukraine wanted to order in the summer of 2022 and whose production was approved by the federal government,” KNDS shared.
According to Spiegel, the KMW representatives estimated the cost of a potential contract for 100 Panzerhaubitze 2000 at 1.7 billion euros. Depending on the supply of components, the contract implementation period should have been several years.
The reasons for abandoning the order for the new self-propelled artillery systems are currently unknown. This could be due to a lack of funding or a change in priorities in military procurement.
The Ukrainian military has been actively using German-made PzH 2000 self-propelled guns in the war against the Russian invasion forces since last summer.
They successfully operate a battalion of such artillery systems, which were transferred jointly by Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy.
RCH 155
At the same time, in a conversation with representatives of KNDS, Müller confirmed preparations for the production of the RCH 155 wheeled self-propelled howitzers. Currently, KMW is at the stage of construction of the production line.
Militarnyi recently reported that Ukraine will receive these artillery systems at best in late 2024, which is later than expected.
Ukraine became the first customer of these wheeled self-propelled guns in the amount of 18 units. The German Federal Government funded the purchase worth €216 million.
In June last year, Ukraine signed an agreement to purchase about 60 units of Krab 155mm self-propelled guns.