According to information published by the German newspaper "Welt" on May 20, 2022, this summer, Ukraine is expected to receive the first 15 German-made Gepard 35mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun systems from the German army military inventory.
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German army Gepard 35mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun based on a tracked armored vehicle. (Picture source Army Recognition)
Citing information from the German Newspaper website "Welt", the result of this negotiation to provide Gepard 35mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun systems between the German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) and her Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Resnikov was announced on Friday 20, 2022.
This new military aid for Ukraine also includes training support from the German army, the provision of almost 60,000 rounds of ammunition, and the delivery of a further 15 Gepard anti-aircraft armored vehicles in summer 2022.
After a struggle for the delivery of heavy weapons, the German defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) received the political green light from the German government to sell the refurbished anti-aircraft tracked armored vehicles coming from German army military stocks. According to a German source, the KMW would have 50 Gepards that could be delivered to Ukraine.
On April 26, 2022, Army Recognition reported that Germany had approved the delivery of Gepard's 35mm self-propelled anti-aircraft mobile gun systems to Ukraine. German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht had confirmed that Germany is ready to provide Gepard air defense armored vehicles during a meeting on April 26, 2022, that was held at the United States Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
The Gepard also nicknamed Cheetah, is a self-propelled anti-aircraft cannon that was developed by the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) between 1976 and 1980. The development of the vehicle started in the 1960s and it was fielded in the 1970s.
The Gepard is fitted with a two-man turret armed with two Oerlikon Contraves 35 mm KDA cannons which have a cyclic rate of fire of 550 rds/min. One 35mm cannon is mounted externally on either side of the turret and the anti-aircraft ammunition is fed via fixed and moving chutes which are hermetically sealed from the fighting compartment. Each cannon is loaded with 310 rounds of anti-aircraft and 20 rounds of armor-piercing ammunition. The cannons have a maximum firing range of 5,500 m with FAPDS ammunition. A bank of four 76 mm smoke grenade dischargers is mounted on either side of the turret.
The Gepard is based on the tracked armored chassis of the Leopard 1 MBT (Main Battle Tank), the original turret is removed and replaced by a two-man anti-aircraft gun system. It has a crew of three including a driver, commander, and gunner.
