Profile
- Type
- Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Origin
- West Germany; donated to Ukraine by Germany
- Service note
- Cold War design in Ukrainian service during the 2022 full-scale invasion
Air Defense
Flakpanzer Gepard
The Flakpanzer Gepard is a tracked German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun built around twin 35 mm automatic cannons and onboard search and tracking radars. In Ukraine it fills a short-range air defense role, pairing Leopard 1 mobility with gun-based engagement of low-flying aircraft, helicopters, missiles, and drones.
Service History
- In service
- Bundeswehr service from 1976 to 2010; later transferred to Ukraine
- Used by
- Ukrainian Armed Forces, Bundeswehr
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- Krauss-Maffei Wegmann with radar and gun-system partners
- Designed
- 1960s-1970s development
- Built in
- Germany
- Unit cost
- Not publicly standardized for Ukraine transfers
- Produced
- 1970s-1980s production and modernization
- Number built
- 570 systems mass-produced by KNDS as general contractor
- Variants
- Gepard 1A2
Specifications
- Crew
- 3
- Armament
- Two 35 mm automatic cannons
- Search radar
- S-band surveillance radar with 15 km range
- Combat range
- Up to 5,000 m against aerial targets in KNDS data; Bundeswehr lists air targets up to 5,500 m
- Mobility
- 65 km/h maximum road speed, 550 km range, 610 kW engine
- Dimensions
- 7.68 m long, 3.71 m wide, 3.29 m high to turret roof
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Ukraine
Supplied to Ukraine by Germany with spare parts and 35 mm ammunition for air defense during the Russia-Ukraine War.
Related Weapon Systems
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AS-90155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe AS-90 is a British tracked 155 mm self-propelled howitzer built for armored, mobile indirect fire support. In the Russia-Ukraine War it represents a UK-donated NATO-caliber artillery system for Ukrainian forces, combining a protected tracked chassis, 155 mm ammunition compatibility, rapid burst fire, and a conventional range of about 24.7 km.
Challenger 2Main battle tankThe Challenger 2 is a British third-generation main battle tank built around a rifled 120 mm gun, heavy composite armor, and four-person crew operations. In the Russia-Ukraine War, the United Kingdom supplied a small squadron to Ukraine as one of the first Western main battle tank transfers of the full-scale invasion.
CV90Tracked infantry fighting vehicleThe CV90 is a Swedish tracked infantry fighting vehicle family built by BAE Systems Hägglunds for protected troop movement and direct-fire support. In Ukrainian service, Swedish-donated CV90s add a heavily armed Western IFV with strong cross-country mobility, a crewed turret, and support arrangements for training, maintenance, and additional vehicles.
F-16 Fighting FalconMultirole fighter aircraftThe F-16 Fighting Falcon is a U.S.-designed multirole fighter used for air defense, air-to-air combat, and precision strike missions. Ukraine's receipt of the aircraft marked its move toward Western combat aviation during the Russia-Ukraine War, with official Ukrainian reporting confirming that pilots had begun using F-16s by August 2024.
M109A6 Paladin155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe M109A6 Paladin is a U.S. 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer that added onboard navigation, automatic fire-control, digital communications, and improved crew protection to the M109 family. In Ukraine, the Paladin represents a U.S.-supplied NATO-standard artillery system for mobile indirect fire, paired in the 2023 aid package with ammunition support vehicles for sustained gun-line operations.Sources
GEPARDPublisher: KNDS | Note: Supports manufacturer background, production context, and current product specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Der Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer GepardPublisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports Bundeswehr service history, system role, radar context, crew, armament, and engagement-range background. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Diese Waffen und militaerische Ausruestung liefert Deutschland an die UkrainePublisher: Federal Government of Germany | Note: Supports direct Russia-Ukraine War conflict use context by documenting Germany's delivery of Gepard anti-aircraft gun tanks, spare parts, and ammunition to Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-06-19UA Gepard SPAAG 01.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing for a Gepard photographed in Ukrainian military service. | Accessed: 2026-06-19