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US Buys 60 Gepard Anti-Aircraft Systems From Jordan for Ukraine

The US has bought 60 Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems from Jordan for Ukraine.

Amman purchased the German-made systems from the Netherlands for 21 million euros ($22 million) in 2013, De Telegraaf reported, adding that the US has purchased the systems for around $110 million.

The US contracted Florida-based Global Military Products to buy and deliver the systems to an unknown international customer in May.

The contract runs through May 2024.

Deployed Against Russian Drones  

Germany has sent 35 Gepards to Ukraine since the war broke out in 2022 and has pledged an additional batch of 45.

Ukrainian forces use them to shoot down Russian attack drones, allowing more expensive air-defense systems such as the Patriot and IRIS-T to focus on anti-missile roles, De Telegraaf wrote.

Features

The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann system features a Leopard tank chassis and twin Oerlikon KDA 35-millimeter guns, each carrying 320 rounds of ammunition.

The 90-caliber gun has a firing rate of 550 rounds per minute and an effective range of 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles).

Its Siemens MPDR 12 S-band search radar has a detection range of 15 kilometers (9 miles), providing 360-degree scanning and simultaneous target-tracking capability.

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