Ukraine to boost local military production with KNDS planning to establish Ukraine branch
2:51 PM EDT, June 7, 2024
A French-German arms manufacturer KNDS branch, known for producing Caesar self-propelled guns, will be established in Ukraine. On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a letter of intent regarding this matter.
On June 7, the French-German conglomerate KNDS and the Ukrainian company ENMEK signed two letters of intent to create the conglomerate's branch in Ukraine. This agreement followed Zelensky's discussions at the French Ministry of Defense with the department's head, Sebastien Lecornu, and KNDS's CEO, Philippe Petitcolin.
One of the letters of intent concerns establishing a service center for Caesar's self-propelled guns in Ukraine, while the other addresses 3D-printing spare parts for these guns.
An agreement was also reached to transfer the licensed production of 6-inch caliber projectiles to Ukraine.
Artillery systems, tanks, and self-propelled guns
The French and German defense ministers, Sebastien Lecornu and Boris Pistorius announced the plan to establish a KNDS branch in Ukraine at the end of March this year. At that time, it was noted that the new branch in Ukraine would produce spare parts and train local staff.
KNDS is one of Europe's leading manufacturers of land force weapons. It is a joint venture of the French manufacturer Nexter and the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. KNDS produces artillery systems and combat tanks, including the Caesar self-propelled artillery systems used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
