Poland ramps up ammunition production fivefold amid Russian threat
Photo: Minister of State Assets of Poland Jakub Jaworowski (GettyImages)
Poland will increase production of howitzer shells fivefold in an effort to become less dependent on imported weapons and to bolster its defenses in response to the Russian threat, stated Poland’s Minister of State Assets, Jakub Jaworowski, according to the Financial Times.
Jaworowski said that the state-owned defense group PGZ will receive 2.4 billion zloty (about 663 million USD) in government funding in the coming days to ramp up production of large-caliber ammunition and address one of the most critical shortages in Poland's defense sector.
The funds will go toward increasing the group’s annual output of 155mm artillery shells, which are used in NATO-standard howitzers, and 120mm tank shells.
Jaworowski said that Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine has shown that "155mm ammunition plays a key role on the modern battlefield and is needed in large numbers".
"Our goal in the short term is to significantly increase domestic production of this type of armament, as well as to become independent of foreign supplies and build a sustainable base for national autonomy. This is one of our priorities," he added.
How much ammunition does Poland produce?
Currently, the Polish company PGZ produces approximately 30,000 large-caliber shells per year. With new funding, this volume is expected to increase more than fivefold, to 150,000–180,000 annually over the next three years. All production will remain in Poland to avoid dependence on imported components.
Poland is a NATO member that spends the highest percentage of its GDP on defense: this year, 4.7% of the national budget has been allocated to the military. However, a significant portion of these funds was previously spent on purchasing weapons abroad, particularly from the United States and South Korea.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government is now shifting focus to domestic production, in line with broader European efforts to reduce dependence on the US and other foreign military suppliers.
Previously, we reported that Polish authorities are considering withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, which bans the production, storage, and use of anti-personnel mines, as well as from the Dublin Convention on cluster munitions.
