The Ukrainian Defense Forces can expect additional ammunition for the Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems, as the German defense giant Rheinmetall has received a new order for the production of 180,000 high-explosive incendiary (HEI-T) shells.
According to the company, this order was placed by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, but the financial costs, amounting to a "double-digit figure in millions of euros," are covered by the German government. The ammunition will be produced at the manufacturing line in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony.
This order follows a previous request for 300,000 35mm shells for the Gepard made in February 2023, just before the German production line began operations in spring of that year. It is important to note that the Gepard utilizes two Swiss Oerlikon GDF guns, but in 2022, Switzerland not only refused to supply ammunition for them to Ukraine but also blocked their re-export to maintain its neutrality.
All of this resulted in their production starting in Germany itself. By September, the first batch had already arrived in Ukraine. Overall, Rheinmetall is producing 150,000 armor-piercing APDS-T rounds and another 150,000 of the aforementioned HEI-T shells under this contract, costing 168 million euros. These funds, along with the money for the new order and presumably all subsequent ones, have clearly bypassed Switzerland.
At the same time, a logical question arises: how long will 180,000 rounds for the Gepard last? According to a report from the German government, as of the end of 2024, Ukraine has received 241,000 such shells. This includes those ammunition supplied from the Bundeswehr's own reserves in 2022 and part of 2023.
Thus, a single new order for 180,000 rounds constitutes 3/4 of the total amount of ammunition for the Gepard supplied since 2022. Naturally, during this time, the number of systems operational in the Armed Forces of Ukraine has gradually increased and currently stands at 57 units, according to the report.
Additionally, one must consider the Cheetah - the Dutch version of the German Gepard, which features a different radar system and an upgraded fire control system. A certain number of Cheetah units were purchased and refurbished with funds from the U.S. from stockpiles in Jordan, which had a total of around 60 such vehicles.
However, the old contract for 300,000 is still far from fulfilled. Ultimately, it appears that the total ordered quantity of ammunition should last a considerable amount of time; if not for several years, then at least for a year. After all, the ammunition load for the Gepard consists of 640 rounds, which means it is possible to fully equip 281 vehicles solely from the 180,000 shell contract. Moreover, the ammunition expenditure from the Gepard against targets like "Shahed" is quite minimal - just a couple of short bursts.