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.

China's ZBL-09 armoured fighting vehicle, seen here from Russia's Victory Day parade, is armed with a 30 mm cannon, a 7.62 mm machine gun, and anti-tank guided missiles. (Russian MoD)

The Eastern Theater Command (ETC) of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has inducted China North Industries Group Corporation's (Norinco's) ZBL-09 (also known as Type 09) armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) in an equipment awarding ceremony in eastern Guangdong.

The official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the People's Daily, reported via its Weibo social media platform that the 145th Medium Combined Arms Brigade of the 73rd Group Army has inducted at least 54 ZBL-09 vehicles.

According to Janes Land Warfare Platforms: Armoured Fighting Vehicles , the Type 09 is the 8×8 family of AFVs designed by Norinco to provide the PLA with a modern and capable vehicle to replace ZSL-92 AFVs in service.

The ZBL-09 is armed with a 30 mm cannon, a 7.62 mm machine gun, and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). The 30 mm cannon is believed to be a copy of the Russian 2A72. It is a stabilised dual-feed cannon capable of firing two ammunition natures while stationary and mobile.

A Büffel armoured recovery vehicle (left) and Leopard 2A6 tanks (right) for Ukraine being loaded on a train in Bergen-Belsen, Germany. (Bundeswehr/Susanne Hähnel)

Ukraine has received German and Portuguese Leopard 2A6 and UK Challenger 2 main battle tanks (MBTs). The Portuguese Ministry of National Defence tweeted on 27 March that the three Leopard 2A6s donated by Lisbon were in Ukraine. The next day, the German Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced in a press release that 18 Leopard 2A6s, including ammunition and spare parts, and two Büffel armoured recovery vehicles, with their crews trained in Germany, had arrived in Ukraine on 28 March. Also on 28 March, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov tweeted that Challenger 2 tanks supplied by the UK had recently arrived in Ukraine and would soon begin combat missions.

The German MoD said 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) supplied by Germany were already in Ukraine. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius expected German armoured vehicles to be decisive on the front. He said that Germany, together with Sweden and Portugal, was providing a combat unit to Ukraine, with Berlin increasing the number of Leopard 2A6s it is donating from 14 to 18.