Ten new PzH 2000 tracked 155 mm self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) have been ordered for the German Army by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) announced on 30 March 2023.
According to a BAAINBw press statement, the value of the contract is around EUR 184 M for an initial 10 PzH 2000s, although the deal includes options for up to 18 additional SPHs in three batches of six.
The newly ordered SPHs and potential follow-on orders will backfill for the 14 PzH 2000s that Germany supplied to Ukraine last year. They will also feature certain upgrades, with the BAAINBw stating that “various obsolescences are also eliminated as part of [the] procurement”.
Delivery of the first four new PzH 2000s to the German Army is scheduled to take place in 2025, with the rest to be delivered in 2026, according to the BAAINBw.
The PzH 2000 first entered German service in 1998. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Military Balance 2023, 109 PzH 2000s are currently in active German service.
Peter Felstead
