At an event organized by the Association of Business Journalists at the Industrial Club of Düsseldorf, Papperger emphasized, "Artillery is a game changer."
He highlighted Rheinmetall's ambition to send "hundreds of thousands" of artillery shells to Ukraine this year. He added that these shipments would include prototypes of long-range shells capable of reaching 100 kilometers. The mentioned shells are of 120mm and 155mm calibers, suited for armored vehicles and artillery systems provided by Western countries to Ukraine.
Papperger emphasized that Rheinmetall places great importance on artillery manufacturing. Before Russia's full-scale invasion, the armament company had an annual capacity of about 70,000 shells. However, this year, the company plans to produce 700,000.
Papperger noted that artillery production had steadily decreased in the United States and Europe over recent years.
Previously, the company had revealed plans to establish an artillery factory in Ukraine and facilities dedicated to the manufacturing of military vehicles, ammunition, and anti-aircraft weapons.
At the Munich Security Conference in February, Papperger signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ukrainian Minister of Strategic Industries, Oleksandr Kamyshin, to produce weapon shells in another joint factory based in Ukraine.
As Russia intensifies its aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities and gains ground along Ukraine's eastern front line, a significant ammunition shortage limits the Ukrainian army's response capability.
Currently, the artillery firing ratio is 1 to 11, with Russia recently intensifying its artillery fire, consequently weakening Ukrainian defenses, which has resulted in significant Russian advances. Artillery, often nicknamed the "queen of the battlefield" in reference to its historical role in past battles, is used in the war in Ukraine much more extensively than infantry, which is deployed after bombardments to capture towns and positions. Dominating artillery fire today constitutes a real advantage for both belligerents, which is why artillery shells are the main type of ammunition in the announced deliveries, followed by anti-aircraft systems.
