German Armed Forces to Procure New Self-Propelled Howitzers

Due to the transfer of weapons and materiel to Ukraine, the German Army’s level of available equipment has declined in recent months. In particular, the transfer of 14 German PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) to the Ukrainian armed forces is likely to have significantly weakened the Bundeswehr’s artillery capabilities.

In order to replace the howitzers handed over to Ukraine, the German MoD now wants to procure up to 14 PzH 2000 SPHs, using funds from Section 60, and it wants to submit a bill in this regard to the respective Parliament committees in 2023 for approval. This was the German MoD’s response to a question by Member of Parliament Jens Lehmann (CDU) from Leipzig and member of the Defence Committee of the German Bundestag.

Jens Lehmann, MP, commented on the MoD`s answer: “I am very pleased that the Bundeswehr is to receive replacements for the self-propelled howitzers it has given up. These plans are good for the Army for the time being. Unfortunately, so far they are only plans of the MoD but as of yet no concrete measures have been taken.” In his opinion, the procurement should have been initiated much earlier. “In light of the war in Ukraine and limited industrial resources, every day counts. That is why I demand that the necessary submissions be made to the relevant committees in the German Bundestag as soon as possible and not sometime later 2023,” Lehmann said.

Within the framework of the aforementioned Section 60, a total of EUR 2.2 Bn has been earmarked from the 2023 budget for “supporting partner states in the field of security, defence and stabilisation”. The largest part of this aid is likely to be destined for Ukraine. The transfer of the 14 Bundeswehr PzH 2000 was carried out in cooperation with The Netherlands, who also transferred weapon systems of the same type to Ukraine. Both countries also cooperate in training Ukrainian soldiers.

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