At its last meeting, Germany’s Federal Security Council granted Qatar the final export license for the sale of 15 Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. Qatar is expected to pay €31.4m for the Gepards, developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.

In addition to the air defense system, Qatar will receive spare equipment and 16,000 rounds of ammunition. Berlin thus reached one of the largest licensing agreements for the Gulf region this year with Qatar.

Transmission of the system is based on Leopard 1s with reduced armor protection. Gepards equipped with ammunition such as 35 mm KDA cannons and armor-piertic 310 rounds; It has network-centric warfare capability, a soft-kill active defense system and tracking radar capable of operating at a 200-degree angle.

Qatar, which will host the 2022 World Cup, intends to use the new systems for a possible drone strike.