Ukraine conflict: Germany orders 10 PzH 2000 SPHs to replace those sent to Kyiv

Germany is procuring 10 new PzH 2000s for delivery in 2025–26 to replace the SPHs supplied to Ukraine in 2022. (KMW)

Germany's Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology, and In-Service Support (Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr: BAAINBw) awarded Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) a contract for 10 new Panzerhaubitze (PzH) 2000 155 mm self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) on 30 March, the German company announced in a press release on the same day. The contract includes options for three batches of six PzH 2000s each.

On 29 March, the German Federal Ministry of Defence announced on its website that the budget committee of the Bundestag, Germany's parliament, had approved the contract valued at EUR184 million (around USD200 million). The ministry said the PzH 2000s would be delivered to the Bundeswehr in 2025–26.

The Bundestag budget committee's approval is required for procurements exceeding EUR25 million. The EUR184 million contract for the 10 PzH 2000s is financed by the Ertüchtigungsinitiative training initiative fund for Ukraine, valued at EUR2.2 billion in 2023, as the SPHs being procured are replacing the ones donated to Kyiv.

Germany has donated nine and the Netherlands has donated five PzH 2000s to Ukraine. Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov tweeted on 21 June 2022 that Ukraine had received the SPHs.

German and Dutch instructors trained 60 Ukrainian artillery crew members on the PzH 2000 at the Bundeswehr's Artillery School in Idar-Oberstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany, from the second week of May 2022.

The German PzH 2000s came from Germany's Army Logistics Maintenance (Heeresinstandsetzungslogistik: HIL) organisation, where they were being overhauled.

Germany has also donated five M270 Mittleres Artillerie Raketen System (MARS) multiple rocket launchers and Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets to Ukraine from Bundeswehr stocks.