Armin Papperger, CEO of German defense giant Rheinmetall/Marius Becker/picture-alliance/dpa/AP
2023.03.07 Tue posted at 08:19 JST
（ＣＮＮ） Armin Papperger, CEO of German defense giant Rheinmetall, which manufactures Leopard tanks, has revealed his intention to open a tank manufacturing factory in Ukraine by the 7th.
Papperger told a German newspaper that negotiations were underway to build such a factory and that a decision could be made within two months.
The factory is expected to cost 200 million euros ($290 million) to build and will be able to produce about 400 tanks a year.
Air defense systems may be deployed to defend these facilities.
Papperger added that a fully digital Panther tank could be built in Ukraine.
Rheinmetall is Germany’s largest manufacturer of defense equipment and employs around 25,000 people.
Rheinmetall said in January that it had 139 Leopards in stock, but only 29 Leopard 2s could be delivered in combat-ready condition this spring.
