Ukraine: Which weapons is Germany supplying?

Since the start of Russia's war on Ukraine, Germany has sent a great number of lightweight weapons and equipment to Kyiv. When it came to heavy weapons such as battle tanks, Chancellor Olaf Scholz was long hesitant, yet Ukraine has long since received these too.

It is the Taurus lang-range cruise missile system, however, that they are still waiting on. Unlike the US, the UK, and France, which have delivered similar guided weapons to Ukraine and expressly allowed them to attack targets in Russia, Scholz has drawn the line at the Taurus.

Here is a list of weapons that Germany has delivered so far (figures on numbers of units delivered according to Statista, as of November 2024)

Leopard 2 and Leopard 1 battle tanks

The Leopard 2 is a showpiece of German military production. It has been in serial production since 1978 and has been improved many times since then. These tanks are not due to be replaced by Germany's Bundeswehr armed forces by at least 2030. Due to the great success of the tank in export markets, its manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has created many different versions, each of which has been adapted to the specific requirements of the buyer. Its predecessor model, the Leopard 1, has also sold very well and continues to be used by many armies around the world.

It is designed to defend against enemy tank convoys. The Leopard 2 has a 120 mm (4.72 inches) cannon, which can be used to attack stationary or moving targets while moving. The cannon remains pointed at the target even when driving on uneven terrain. Additional attachments allow the Leopard to drive through water up to 4 meters (13 feet) deep. The 1500-horsepower tank, which can travel at more than 60 kilometers per hour (38 mph), is a heavyweight. At more than 60 tons, bridges always pose a problem. The German government has so far supplied Ukraine with 18 of the new Leopard 2 tanks and 88 of the older Leopard 1s.

Marder infantry fighting vehicles

Infantry fighting vehicles carry infantry troops into battle, provide them with fire support, and allow gunners to fire from them. That is why it is a versatile weapon system. The Marder has room for six or seven gunners. It has a 20 mm automatic cannon and can also include Milan-guided missiles for use against ground and air targets. It has a protective ventilation system to protect against nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, and can navigate through water up to two meters deep thanks to submersible hydraulics.

Commissioned in 1971, the Marder is even older than the Gepard and is in the process of being replaced in Germany by its successor, the Puma. Despite this, the Bundeswehr and many other armies continue to use the Marder and it has proven reliable in Kosovo and Afghanistan. This is due to the continuous improvements made to the tank, known in military jargon as combat upgrades. Number of units delivered to date: 140.

Gepard "cheetah" self-propelled anti-aircraft tank

The Gepard has twin 35 mm cannons. It is used against aircraft and helicopters at altitudes of up to 3500 m, but also against lightly armored ground targets such as infantry fighting vehicles and armored transport vehicles. This illustrates how the Gepard can be used as both a defensive and offensive weapon.

Launched in 1976, the Gepard was long a cornerstone of the Bundeswehr's air defense system, as well as that of the Dutch and Belgian armies. However, the Gepard was decommissioned in those countries around 20 years ago, while the last one was retired in Germany in 2012. Romania is the only NATO country still using the Gepard. The 55 German models supplied to Ukraine so far had to first be made operational again.

The self-propelled Howitzer Panzerhaubitze 2000

It is an armored, self-propelled 155 mm caliber artillery gun. The 60 shells stored in the ammunition magazine can be fired at a rate of three rounds in ten seconds. It can

destroy targets at a distance of 40 km. The companies Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall delivered the first howitzers to the Bundeswehr in 1998 and continue to manufacture the model in a modified form.

Unlike the Leopard battle tank, the Panzerhaubitze 2000 must remain stationary to fire, making it clearly inferior to a battle tank in a direct face-off. However, it can immediately move to a new camouflage position after firing, thus avoiding return fire. It is designed to accompany motorized units and provide them with fire support.

The howitzer was successfully deployed in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007 in conjunction with air support. To date, Ukraine has received 24 howitzers from Germany.

Patriot air defense system

The Patriot air defense missile system from US manufacturers Raytheon and Lockheed is designed to engage aircraft, tactical missiles, and cruise missiles. This ground-based anti-aircraft missile system can engage up to five targets simultaneously at a range of up to 68 kilometers. The defensive missiles are fired from a truck and reach four times the speed of sound. Since its introduction in 1984, the Patriot has been used by many armed forces, including the German Bundeswehr. The first use of the Patriot in a combat zone was by the US during the Second Gulf War against Iraq in 1991.

The Patriot is expensive. A single system without missiles costs several hundred million US dollars, with each individual defensive missile costing an additional three to eight million dollars. Because of the high price of the missiles, it is only worthwhile using them against so-called high-value targets: using them against combat drones, for example, would be a waste of money. So far, three units have been delivered to Ukraine.

IRIS-T air defense system

The IRIS-T is a ground-based mobile (truck-mounted) air defense missile system from the German manufacturer Diehl, but with multinational cooperation. The IRIS-T is a

relatively new system. It was only first operational in 2022, the year the war in Ukraine began. It can intercept missiles at a range of 40 kilometers. The system is used to defend against helicopters, aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones, cruise missiles, and short-range missiles.

One advantage of IRIS-T is its high mobility: all components are mounted on standardized 20-foot containers and can therefore be transported by truck, rail, ship, and even by transport aircraft such as the C-130 Hercules or the military Airbus A400M. So far, nine systems have been delivered to Ukraine.

Vector reconnaissance drone

Drones are increasingly playing a role in Russia's war against Ukraine. But while Russia and Ukraine are using combat drones against each other, Germany is supplying Ukraine with reconnaissance drones, such as the Vector. Manufactured in Germany by Quantum Systems, the drone is a fixed-wing aircraft with a wingspan of just under three meters, three rotors, and a fuselage made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic.

The reconnaissance drone can stay in the air for up to two hours and photograph an area of 700 hectares. So far, Ukraine has received 368 of these drones from Germany.

Rocket launchers 'Stinger' 

The Stinger is a shoulder-fired, infrared-guided surface-to-air missile launcher that was originally manufactured by Raytheon in the US in 1980, but has also long been produced in Europe, including in Germany. Once it has locked on to its target, such as a fighter plane or helicopter, and is fired, the missile can automatically track its target at a range of about 4,000 meters. The warhead explodes with a slight time delay after impact, usually hitting the fuel tank, thus maximizing damage.

Stingers have proven to be extremely effective and easy to use. Most notably, the US supplied them to Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation, and Afghan fighters used them to shoot down numerous Soviet airplanes and helicopters. Kyiv has received 500 Stingers from Germany since the beginning of the war.

The 'Panzerfaust'

Manufactured in Germany by Dynamit Nobel since 1992,

the standard Panzerfaust 3 is used by the German armed forces and other national armies for anti-tank defense. It is fired from the shoulder at stationary targets up to 400 meters away and at moving targets up to 300 meters away. It can penetrate up to 300 mm of armored steel and, as a bunker buster when equipped with other ammunition, up to 240 mm of reinforced concrete.

According to the German government, Germany supplied Ukraine with several thousand Panzerfausts at the beginning of the war.

This article was originally written in German. It was first published in September 2023 and has been updated to reflect the latest developments.

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