The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has placed an order with Rheinmetall for an additional 180,000 rounds of 35mm ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft gun.  

This order, recorded in December 2024, requests High Explosive Incendiary with Tracer (HEI-T) rounds. Delivery is expected to begin in 2026. 

Funding comes from Germany, with the order valued in the high double-digit million euros. 

In February 2023, on behalf of Ukraine, the German Ministry of Defence commissioned Rheinmetall to deliver 300,000 rounds of 35mm ammunition for Ukraine’s Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, which is now in use by the Ukrainian military.  

Rheinmetall provided 150,000 rounds each of Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot – Tracer (APDS-T) and HEI-T ammunition. 

The Gepard tanks, 55 in total, were previously decommissioned by the Bundeswehr and have since been transferred to Ukraine. 

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The ammunition, which engages various aerial targets including drones, will be manufactured at Rheinmetall’s Unterlüß facility.  

The site’s production line was reestablished in spring 2023 to meet the growing demand for 35mm ammunition.  

Rheinmetall, known for its cannon-based air defence systems, also provides Ukraine with other defence solutions such as the Skynex system and AHEAD airburst ammunition.  

The company’s offerings include fire control systems, missile launchers, air surveillance systems, and radar technology. 

This announcement follows Rheinmetall’s recent agreement with Auterion to enhance standardised software components for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). 

The collaboration aims to focus on product innovation and market strategies for uncrewed platforms, aiming to deliver a unified operating system that enhances military operations. 

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