Germany considers joint production of Gepard air defense systems with Ukraine to better counter Russian drones.

On August 21, 2025, Ukraine’s Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal met with a KNDS Deutschland delegation led by Executive Director Ralf Ketzel to discuss the joint production of the Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG), industrial cooperation, and long-term sustainment of air defense capabilities. The talks took place in Kyiv and continued during the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in London, where Shmyhal also engaged with other international defense companies.
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In Ukraine, the Gepards have intercepted large numbers of drones, including notable achievements such as shooting down ten Shaheds during a single attack, as well as successfully destroying Kh-101 cruise missiles targeting energy facilities. (Picture source: Ukrainian MoD)

With KNDS Deutschland, the focus was on establishing joint ventures in Ukraine, setting up service hubs, ensuring a continuous ammunition supply, and creating a permanent feedback mechanism between Ukrainian operators and German engineers. One of the most tangible outcomes of the cooperation with KNDS Deutschland has been the creation of in-country maintenance capacity for heavy weapon systems. The company and Ukrainian defense industry partners launched service hubs for repairing armored and anti-aircraft systems, beginning with the Gepard.

The first three units were repaired domestically under KNDS supervision, marking an important shift away from reliance on foreign workshops. Germany has also supported Ukraine with significant ammunition deliveries, pledging over 200,000 rounds of 35 mm ammunition as part of recent aid packages. Rheinmetall has been tasked with sustaining long-term ammunition production after initial shortages linked to Swiss export restrictions, and the company has also addressed reported issues with Norwegian Nammo rounds that required technical modifications before entering Ukrainian service.

Ukraine’s current Gepard fleet originates from several sources. Germany delivered 52 units by the end of 2023 and committed a further 15, along with 259,680 rounds of ammunition in January 2024. The United States purchased 60 Dutch-origin Cheetahs from Jordan for $118,375,740, with deliveries beginning in mid-2024, while Germany secured 15 vehicles from Qatar for onward transfer. These transfers have expanded Ukraine’s inventory beyond the initial pledges, helping the Armed Forces strengthen their short-range air defense layer. The integration of these vehicles into Ukrainian formations has been supported by new maintenance hubs and structured supply agreements, intended to keep them operational despite the intensity of the conflict.

In Ukraine, the Gepard has been successfully deployed both for the protection of urban centers and energy infrastructure and for mobile defense of frontline troops. Its role includes countering Shahed-type loitering munitions, cruise missiles, and low-flying aircraft, threats that have been central to Russian aerial operations. Operational accounts highlight instances of Gepards shooting down multiple drones during a single raid and at least one case of intercepting a Kh-101 cruise missile aimed at a power plant, which is remarkable for an air defense system that was developed 60 years ago. Ukrainian air defense officers have underlined the system’s cost-effectiveness compared to missile-based interceptors, allowing continuous defense of key sites while conserving higher-cost missile stocks for long-range threats. This operational experience is being fed back to KNDS through a formalized channel to inform product improvements and guide modernization work.

The Gepard was originally developed in the 1960s by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, today part of KNDS Deutschland, and entered service in the 1970s as NATO’s primary gun-based air defense system. Built on the chassis of the Leopard 1 main battle tank, it offered a combination of mobility, armor protection, and autonomous fire control. Designed during the Cold War to counter Soviet aircraft, it remained in NATO service for decades before being retired and placed in storage, which later created the surplus pools now tapped for Ukraine. KNDS has put forward upgrade proposals based on Ukrainian battlefield experience, including modernized radar systems and improved tracking technology, to maintain the relevance of the Gepard against evolving threats.

The system is armed with two 35 mm Oerlikon KDA autocannons, each firing at 550 rounds per minute for a combined total of 1,100. These weapons are capable of engaging targets up to 4 km away and at altitudes of approximately 3 km, depending on ammunition and conditions. Available munitions include high-explosive incendiary, semi-armor piercing high-explosive incendiary tracer, and frangible armor-piercing discarding sabot rounds, with the FAPDS type extending effective engagement ranges beyond 5 km under certain conditions. The cannons are equipped with dual-belt feeds, allowing operators to select between ammunition types for different targets. In practice, operators use controlled bursts to manage heat and conserve ammunition, making the system sustainable in prolonged defensive operations.

Radar integration is a defining component of the Gepard’s combat effectiveness. German variants employ an S-band search radar with a detection range of about 15 km and a Ku-band tracking radar for precise engagement, while Dutch PRTL Cheetah variants differ with an X-band search radar and X/Ka-band tracking radar, offering slightly different performance characteristics. This dual-radar setup allows the system to detect, track, and engage multiple targets simultaneously, including drones with small radar cross-sections. Reports from Ukraine confirm the system’s ability to track and destroy Shahed drones in dense attack waves and intercept cruise missiles during high-speed approaches. By integrating detection, tracking, and firepower on a single chassis, the Gepard can operate independently of external fire control, an advantage in electronic warfare or degraded network conditions.

Mobility is provided by the Leopard 1 tank chassis and its MTU MB 838 CaM 500 multi-fuel engine producing approximately 830 horsepower, allowing road speeds of up to 65 km/h and effective cross-country maneuvering. This mobility has enabled Ukrainian operators to rapidly reposition the Gepard to threatened sites such as power plants, military bases, and administrative buildings as attack vectors shift. The vehicle is also equipped with a Daimler-Benz OM 314 auxiliary engine powering radar and fire-control systems, allowing extended operations without running the main engine, which reduces noise and thermal signature. Ukrainian accounts emphasize that the system’s ability to relocate and sustain operations in poor terrain conditions is a major factor in its continued success in active combat zones.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.