Rheinmetall to build Panther KF51 tank production plant in Ukraine
German concern Rheinmetall is negotiating the establishment of a tank production plant in Ukraine.
The company’s CEO, Armin Papperger, told Spiegel. The plant’s construction is estimated to cost about 200,000,000 euros. According to the CEO, the plant will be able to produce up to 400 new Panther KF51 tanks per year. The final decision on the construction should be made within two months.
The Panther KF51 (aka Panther Kettenfahrzeug 51) is a new tank made by the German concern Rheinmetall. It was presented at the Eurosatory-2022 exhibition in Paris. The tank is the successor to the Leopard 2. It is based on the same chassis and weighs 59 tons. The combat vehicle is equipped with a 130-mm cannon and a 12.7-mm machine gun. In addition, the Panther KF51 boasts a HERO 120 kamikaze drone manufactured by UVision. The Panther KF51 is planned to be produced in two versions: one will be operated by a crew of 3 people, and the other will be fully autonomous.
