With the aim of replacing the MARS II systems transferred to Ukraine, Germany is reportedly in the final stages of acquiring Israeli-made PULS MRLS launchers, with a decision expected at an upcoming meeting of the Bundestag’s budget committee to approve €25 million for the operation. For the time being, Berlin is set to acquire a total of five new rocket artillery systems, which will also be shared with the Dutch Armed Forces.
Delving into the details of the purchase, the German government plans not only to acquire the five PULS MRLS launchers but also to invest approximately €65 million for the integration of new communication and command systems for its artillery units, namely the D-LBO and ADLER III systems. Additionally, the Trakker 8×8 model from Iveco has been selected as the platform for transporting the launchers, with the first systems expected to be ready for delivery by 2025.
It is also important to clarify that the purchase of munitions for the PULS MRLS systems will be handled as a separate agreement, which will be discussed by the Bundestag in the near future. In this regard, specialized German media report that 2025 is also expected to be the year in which the procurement of training rockets and artillery with a range of 150 km will be finalized, with a potential involvement of the German company Diehl Defense following its recent partnership with Elbit Systems for rocket production. By 2026, new rockets with a range of 300 km, as well as loitering munitions, are expected to be agreed upon.
It is also worth noting that Germany will incorporate the Euro-Puls version developed by Elbit Systems and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, which was presented in 2022. This version is particularly significant, as it will allow German artillery units to use not only Israeli missiles such as the Accular and Predator Hawk, but also the German-made AT-2 and Joint Fire Support-Missile systems. Additionally, the list will include Norwegian NSM missiles and Swedish RBS15 missiles, all integrated with a fire control system already familiar to Bundeswehr personnel from their experience with the MARS II.
These features, along with the various agreements enabling the participation of local companies in the process, led the Euro-Puls to secure a victory over the bids from the well-known U.S. HIMARS system and a modernized variant of the MARS II. As stated by the Federal Ministry of Defense: “(Ed: The choice) was made after evaluating the replacement of an outdated MARS II version with the available PULS and HIMARS systems (…) The evaluation of potential candidates was based on criteria such as requirement compliance, delivery schedules, procurement cooperation, and interoperability with alliance partners.”
Images used for illustrative purposes
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