Weapons conglomerate refuses to expedite shipments to Ukraine.
Today, arms makers are caught in a difficult situation: Ukraine requires supplies to fend off the Russian invasion, while NATO nations seek to replenish their depleting inventories. KNDS, a weapons corporation based in Germany, expresses concern about their inability to offer Ukraine more materials promptly. As Ralf Ketzel, KNDS's CEO, puts it, "Our capability to deliver something rapidly is now depleted." Had they made a long-term sense of this conflict two years ago, he continues, they could be furnishing new supplies to Ukraine now. However, this assumption could not have been validated at the time.
Moreover, other NATO countries require replacements for the equipment they've transferred, according to Ketzel. This inevitably leaves Ukraine with inferior armaments. At present, KNDS, formerly known as Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), is producing weapons for Ukraine directly. Nevertheless, Ketzel insists that Ukraine could get better aid if other countries elected to divert tanks they've ordered from KNDS to Ukraine. "The use of weapons - and that includes sending them - is a matter of national sovereignty." Since the start of 2023, KNDS has been furnishing Leopard 2 battle tanks to Kiev after much tumult in Germany.
Regarding the tanks damaged in Russia's assault on Ukraine, Ketzel believes it's challenging to anticipate that it would take years for the repairs to be completed in Ukraine. "It's uncertain how extensive the maintenance issue on-site is. About 80 to 90% of the repairs are not executed by us but at the front."
It's not simple to obtain spare parts for heavy military equipment. "This is also a topic we should take into account when the government claims: We want to be battle-ready," concludes Ketzel.
Read also:
- Despite the urgent need for weapons, NATO nations are facing depletion of their stocks due to transfers to Ukraine, leaving Ukraine with inferior arms due to delayed replacements from KNDS.
- KNDS, formerly known as Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, is currently producing weapons for Ukraine but believes that Ukraine could receive better aid if other nations diverted ordered tanks to Ukraine, respecting the principle of national sovereignty in weapons distribution.
- The attack on Ukraine has resulted in damaged tanks requiring lengthy repairs, which Ketzel of KNDS estimates could take years due to both uncertainties on-site and the lack of readily available spare parts for heavy military equipment.
