According to information published by the International Press Agency REUTERS, Germany will officially approve the delivery of Gepard's 35mm self-propelled anti-aircraft mobile gun systems to Ukraine. German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht has confirmed that Germany is ready to provide Gepard air defense armored vehicles during a meeting on April 26, 2022, that was held at the United States Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
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German army Gepard 35mm self-propelled anti-aircraft mobile gun system. (Picture source Army Recognition)
On February 25, 2022, Army Recognition reported that the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegman (KMW) could deliver 50 decommissioned Gepard anti-aircraft (Flakpanzer) tanks.
The Gepard also nicknamed Cheetah, is a self-propelled anti-aircraft cannon that was developed by the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) between 1976 and 1980. The development of the vehicle started in the 1960s and it was fielded in the 1970s.
The Gepard was also exported to Belgium and the Netherlands. Currently, the self-propelled anti-aircraft cannon is still in service with Brazil, Chile, Jordan, Romania, and Qatar.
The Gepard is fitted with a two-man turret armed with two Oerlikon Contraves 35 mm KDA cannons which have a cyclic rate of fire of 550 rds/min. One 35mm cannon is mounted externally on either side of the turret and the anti-aircraft ammunition is fed via fixed and moving chutes which are hermetically sealed from the fighting compartment. Each cannon is loaded with 310 rounds of anti-aircraft and 20 rounds of armor-piercing ammunition. The cannons have a maximum firing range of 5,500 m with FAPDS ammunition. A bank of four 76 mm smoke grenade dischargers is mounted on either side of the turret.
The Gepard is based on the tracked armored chassis of the Leopard 1 MBT (Main Battle Tank), the original turret is removed and replaced by a two-man anti-aircraft gun system. It has a crew of three including a driver, commander, and gunner.
The Gepard can run at a maximum road speed of 65 km/h with a maximum road cruising range of 550 km and 400 km in off-road conditions. It can climb a gradient of 60 % and a vertical obstacle of 1.15m. It can cross a trench of 3 m and has a fording depth of 2.5 m.
Click this link to read the Fact Sheet about the Gepard 35mm.
