Rheinmetall, the largest arms manufacturer in Germany, expects the first batch of ammunition for Gepard anti-aircraft guns to be delivered to Ukraine by July, the company’s CEO Armin Papperger said on Monday, according to CNN. Gepard systems became famous for their ability to shoot down Iranian Shahed-131 and 136 “kamikaze” drones.

He made these statements after a visit with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to an armored vehicle manufacturing facility in Unterluss, western Germany.

The Rheinmetall representative also reported that twenty Marder combat vehicles will be ready for delivery to Ukraine by the end of March.

“Storage is full”

In response to the German defense minister’s call for arms manufacturers to start producing munitions, Papperger said Rheinmetall had “doubled capacity and in some sectors even tripled it”. “In the arms production, the warehouse is full. We are working at full capacity here and can still increase capacity by one shift if contracts are signed,” he said.

Germany’s defense minister said the German government is working with industry to ensure that:

• “We can deliver what we have and what will be produced in the coming months.”

How long does it take to produce a Leopard tank

The German Minister of Defense visited on Monday in Münster Ukrainian servicemen who are learning to drive Leopard tanks and Marder combat vehicles.

Production of a modern battle tank takes “about two to two and a half years” from the time of order, Pistorius said during the visit.

“Everything we are handing over (to Ukraine) will be available for replacement only in two to two and a half years,” he added.

What is Gepard armor

Germany has promised Kiev more Gepard anti-aircraft guns as Ukraine tries to defend itself against constant attacks by Iranian-made drones, Newsweek reported, as cited by Rador.

On February 8, the head of the Administration of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky Andriy Yermak announced that Ukraine received a new tranche of military aid from Germany, including additional tanks.

Berlin will send two more Gepard mobile anti-aircraft systems, as well as 6 thousand units of ammunition, Yermak wrote in Telegram.

The German government also announced that it has delivered 32 Gepard mobile anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine, up from the previous figure of 30. Five more Gepard systems are “planned,” according to the German government’s website.

The Gepard is a self-propelled, armored, all-weather mobile anti-aircraft system developed in the 1960s. Produced by the military company Krauss Maffei-Wegmann (KMW), the Gepard system was supplied to countries such as Germany, Belgium, Romania and below.

Mainly intended for air defense, the anti-aircraft system can also be directed at ground targets.

With a crew of three, the Gepard tracked tank can reach a top speed of 40 mph and has a range of 340 miles. According to KMW, it has independent target tracking and surveillance radars and is equipped with “advanced training and simulation equipment”.

Equipped with two 35 mm automatic cannons, “the Gepard system’s high mobility and rapid turret rotation provide the extremely short reaction time necessary to combat air threats.” The Cheetah is built on the chassis of the Leopard-1 tank.

Not only is it effective against fighter jets, attack helicopters and missiles, but, according to the manufacturer, “it can also successfully combat drones.”