Four years ago, Germany quietly announced the delivery of self-propelled anti-aircraft guns Gepard to Ukraine, shortly after the Russian invasion. At the start of this conflict, it was the first major delivery of heavy weapons by Germany, pulled from its industrial stocks. This decision was later confirmed by the German Defense Minister, Christine Lambrecht, in April 2022.
Since that time, Germany has delivered at least 55 Gepard tanks to Ukraine, which have become crucial in Ukrainian defense. The Gepard tank is labeled as the “best drone killer” by several Ukrainian media outlets, according to Euronews. For Ukraine, these tanks are now essential as Russia regularly launches hundreds of drones at Ukraine. However, thanks to the American Ukrainian defense system, they are all neutralized.
A central role in air defense:
According to the Ukrainian news agency Euromaidan Press, the Gepard tank is a cornerstone of Ukrainian air defense thanks to its radar and 35mm cannons, allowing for a dense volume of fire. These tools enable Ukraine to reliably destroy drones at a much lower cost than using air defense missiles like Patriot or IRIS-T. In fact, the Gepard loads much cheaper 35mm ammunition, much better suited for mass drone destruction.
All these factors explain the resurgence of the Gepard. Germany has therefore restarted production of the Gepard through Rheinmetall, which will begin delivering an additional 180,000 cartridges from 2026. However, the Gepard tank had been removed from German military ranks after the Cold War due to high costs. Additionally, it was seen as unsuitable for recent conflicts, such as in the Middle East. But the rise of drones has changed the view of warfare and shed light on this old defense system.
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