One of the most powerful European arms manufacturing conglomerates, KNDS, is to open a subsidiary in Ukraine. This will make it possible to repair Western weapons and direct efforts to the production of ammunition in Ukraine.
The agreement on the creation of the Ukrainian division of the KNDS was reached between the defense ministers of Germany and France, Boris Pistorius and Sebastian Lecorne, writes Bloomberg.
And this is really of great importance for Ukraine, because although the abbreviation KNDS may still seem little-known to some, it is under this common name that the association Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Nexter act. And the flagships of these companies are well known to everyone: the Leopard 2 tank and the Caesar self-propelled gun. Although, of course, the products of KNDS, both the German and French segments, are much wider.
In particular, the Nextrer part of KNDS is the French Leclerc tank, the VBCI wheeled combat vehicle, as well as the entire line of armored vehicles under the SCORPION program for the French ground forces: a replacement for the VAB APC in the form of a Griffon, a reconnaissance Jaguar as a replacement for the AMX-10RC, as well as a light MRAP Serval .
It is also a super-powerful production of ammunition of all calibers, from 20-mm to 155-mm, including known for its effectiveness against armored vehicles, due to homing, high-precision Bonus.
And the German KMW is, of course, the Leopard 2, but also the PzH 2000 along with the newest RCH-155 wheeled self-propelled guns, which the ZSU should also receive. These are also the Dingo armored vehicles, the Puma BMP, the turret of which is used in the Boxer, as well as the Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, which, although decommissioned, is in the KMW product catalog.
In this way, KNDS overlaps a significant amount of weapons already in use in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and not the "first pairs" will allow to significantly speed up the cycles of repair and restoration of weapons. And in the future, to become a base for its localized production. Which is actually of great importance not only for Ukraine, but, if everything is implemented in the best way, for Germany and France themselves.
Because now the shortage of weapons and production facilities leads to the emergence of paradoxical situations. For example, when Australia will export to Germany the German Boxer wheeled infantry fighting vehicle developed by Germany's Rheinmetall.
Also, the entry of KNDS is a completely logical step for the conglomerate from the point of view of business interests. Because Rheinmetall has already done this with specific plans for production and repair, similarly - BAE Systems.
