German Armed Forces to order a batch of RCH 155 wheeled howitzers

The German Armed Forces have decided to purchase a wheeled howitzer developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. It is called RCH 155.

Here's What We Know

The German Ministry of Defence was looking for a new self-propelled artillery unit. The key criteria were a wheeled chassis and a 155mm cannon, which is used in the Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzer.

The RCH 155 had a rival. The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann combat vehicle was competing with a self-propelled artillery system developed by German defence giant Rheinmetall. However, the German authorities settled on the RCH 155, which was successfully evaluated in the first half of 2023.

Initially, the German Army planned to purchase 168 wheeled howitzers. However, due to budget constraints, the Bundeswehr will only be able to order a few dozen RCH 155s. Procurement should take place from 2026 to 2031.

It should be noted that Germany is already preparing 18 such howitzers for Ukraine. The government announced this at the end of last year. The cost will be more than $220 million. The deal will be financed from the German budget.

Source: Soldat & Technik