France and Germany agreed on Friday March 22 to co-produce military equipment in Ukraine. During a meeting in Berlin between the French Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, and the German Minister of Defense, Boris Pistorius, the two European capitals reached an agreement which paves the way for the first factory Franco-German armament on Ukrainian soil.
The agreement concerns the conglomerate specializing in land weapons KNDS, which brings together the German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and the French Nexter, notably manufacturer of the Caesar cannon. The two entities have agreed to open a subsidiary in Ukraine which will initially produce spare parts and ammunition, then, ultimately, complete weapons systems.
The creation of this subsidiary is mainly intended to streamline the operational restoration of military equipment already delivered by KNDS and damaged by the war. Or, for example, the Leopoard tanks and the Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers, on the KMW side, or the famous Caesar cannons, on the Nexter side. The idea is to prioritize the manufacture in Ukraine of the parts that break the fastest and thus “ simplify logistical issues »we justified, Friday, in Mr. Lecornu’s entourage.
France pushes its Caesar cannons
Mr. Lecornu and Mr. Pistorius, however, remained evasive on Friday on the deadline by which this subsidiary could see the light of day, in particular for security reasons. The pace could be rapid, with several sources citing the year 2024. Discussions are still underway to define, on the German side as well as on the French side, the way of” to integrate “ as best as possible the various projects in the making, particularly with Ukrainian joint ventures.
For Nexter, the most emblematic project concerns the creation of a specific support center for Caesar cannons, under study since September 2023. An important issue as part of the restructuring of aid to Ukraine – launched from the start at the European level in close coordination with the United States – France is trying to take leadership in artillery by pushing exports of its flagship product.
Since the start of the war, kyiv has already received nearly fifty Caesars (including nineteen ceded by Denmark). The Ukrainians have just bought six more with their own funds, while Paris announced, in January, that it was ready to pay for another twelve out of a total production capacity of seventy-two for the coming year. “It’s a strong symbol”we estimate at Nexter.
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