According to information published on March 4, 2023, by the German newspaper website “Spiegel” the German company Rheinmetall is negotiating the construction of a tank factory in Ukraine with an investment of €200 million to build the new KF51 Panther Main Battle Tank (MBT).
Citing Armin Papperger, the Chairman of the German company Rheinmetall AG, the new factory could produce up to 400 KF51 Panther MBTs (Main Battle Tanks) per year. A decision could be made in the next two months.
Armin Papperger also stated that the new factory could be protected against aerial threats from the Russian army through the deployment of air defense systems. Currently, Ukraine needs 600-800 tanks to achieve victory over Russian forces.
On February 10, 2023, the Army Recognition editorial team reported that Germany was in talks with Ukraine to supply the KF51 Panther, a new generation of Main Battle Tank unveiled by the German company Rheinmetall in June 2022 at the International Defense Exhibition Eurosatory held in Paris, France.
With this proposal from Germany, Ukraine could become the first country in the world to acquire the KF51 Panther, which is the most recent development in main battle tanks.