US to double artillery shell production for Ukraine's needs
The United States Army plans to double the production of artillery shells used by Ukraine by October 2024, Rubryka reports, referring to Defence One.
"The Army aims to double production of a key munition used in Ukraine by October," said the US Army's Army acquisition chief, Doug Bush.
The production of 155mm artillery shells in the United States will increase from 28,000 in October of last year (the last month for which precise figures were published – ed.) to approximately 37,000 in April and approximately 60,000 in October 2024.
Later, the US Army hopes to quickly increase production in 2025 from slightly less than 75,000 shells in April to 100,000 in October.
This planned increase is partly related to a new plant that the Army is building in Texas, which will "have an entirely new way of making the shell, using entirely new tech we've never used before," Bush said.
The availability of munitions, especially large 155mm artillery shells, does not allow Ukraine to match Russia in terms of firepower. Ukrainian forces produce about 2,000 shells daily, approximately one-fifth of the Russian volume.
According to Bush, the widespread use of munitions such as 155mm shells may force the United States to reconsider how many reserves they need to have.
"If larger stockpiles are a way to mitigate risk for an extended conventional conflict, then that needs to be looked at," he said.
According to Bush, the United States did not have to increase the production of small artillery shells, tank shells, or mortar rounds for Ukraine, as the United States was able to meet Ukraine's needs without significantly depleting its own reserves.
As reported, Estonia's permanent representative to NATO, Jüri Luik, believes that by March of this year, the European Union will not be able to provide Ukraine with a million munitions but will be able to fulfill these supplies by the end of the year.
Supply of ammunition to Ukraine and joint arms production with other countries
On May 3 last year, the EU Council approved a decision to provide €1 billion in assistance to Ukraine for joint purchases of ammunition and missiles.
The procurement plan envisaged allocating 1 billion euros for compensation to member states for supplies, another €1 billion for joint purchases of ammunition, and increasing production capacities in the EU.
On November 14, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius acknowledged that the European Union could not provide Ukraine with a million artillery shells by March 2024.
However, on January 11, the European Commission announced that the European Union could produce one million ammunition rounds for Ukraine by the end of winter 2024.
The German defense concern Rheinmetall and the "Ukrainian Defense Industry" have officially announced a joint venture to repair and maintain combat equipment in combat-ready condition transferred by Germany and other Western partners.
Also, the German arms concern Rheinmetall will build a new ammunition factory. It is planned to provide the manufactured products to Ukraine.
Ukraine and Belgium also plan to establish joint arms production. In the near future, Finland will begin production of artillery ammunition for Ukraine.
Moreover, Ukraine and Lithuania have agreed on joint production of drones and electronic warfare (EW) equipment. The joint-stock company "Ukrainian Defense Industry" is starting a strategic partnership with four Lithuanian companies.
Also, Poland and Ukraine have agreed on joint arms production: Warsaw has already allocated a loan.
Due to the war in Ukraine, Finland plans to build a new plant to produce artillery shells.
