Germany and Britain plan to jointly develop a remote-controlled howitzer for future military ground operations, the British government announced on Wednesday when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Berlin.
The “joint venture” will develop “remotely controlled howitzer 155 mm wheeled artillery systems (RCH 155), which will be mounted on Boxer vehicles” of German tank manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), according to the Downing Street statement number 10. .
The howitzer can fire up to nine 155 millimeter artillery shells per minute at a range of up to 40 kilometers.
The RCH 155 is the world’s first howitzer that can fire while traveling and is therefore better suited to evading enemy fire, Number 10’s statement said.
The visit to Berlin is the first visit to Germany for Sunak, who has been in office since October 2022. He arrived in Berlin on Tuesday evening after a visit to the Polish capital Warsaw.
A joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is planned for early Wednesday afternoon.
In addition to more defense cooperation, the two government leaders also want to discuss cooperation in the field of energy and the fight against organized crime, according to British sources.
They also plan to discuss the export of hydrogen as an energy source from Britain to Germany.
“Today we open a new chapter in our relationship, one that will make us safer and more prosperous,” Sunak said, according to the press release.
The Conservative politician added that Britain and Germany stood side by side at this dangerous time for the world to maintain security and prosperity at home and across the European continent.
