The U.S. Department of Defense has shared updated production figures for various types of ammunition following a $5.3 billion investment in the domestic defense industry. These details were part of a report from the recent Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where nearly 50 countries gathered to support Ukraine.
The report outlines monthly production numbers for several key munitions, including gun artillery rounds, GMLRS rockets for M142 HIMARS, PAC-3 MSE interceptors for Patriot missile defense systems, FGM-148 Javelin missiles, and AIM-9X interceptors, which Ukraine uses with NASAMS ground launchers or fighter aircraft.
Read more: U.S. Official Reveals the Monthly Production of 155mm Shells, Implications For Ukraine
According to the report, the U.S. now produces 40,000 155mm artillery shells per month — a 178% increase from the 14,400 rounds produced in 2022, when investments ramped up following russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, propellant charge production, essential for firing these shells, is lagging, with only 18,000 units produced — just a 24% increase from 2022's 14,500 units.
Despite this progress, the 155mm ammunition figures are disappointing. Defense Express previously quoted U.S. Army logistics chief Douglas Bush, who stated that production should reach 80,000 shells per month by fall 2024, i.e. twice the current quantity.
Production of GMLRS rockets for HIMARS has grown 40% to 1,167 units per month, up from 833 in 2022. Lockheed Martin had pledged to produce 14,000 rockets annually by February 2024, a target that now seems achievable if current production rates hold steady.
PAC-3 MSE missile production for the Patriot system has doubled, reaching 42 missiles per month, in line with Lockheed Martin's plans announced earlier.
However, Javelin production is struggling to keep pace. The current rate of 200 missiles per month marks a 14% increase but falls 20 units short of the target. AIM-9X Sidewinder missile production has grown by 18%, from 116 to 137 units per month.
Overall, these figures differ from the higher targets previously announced by U.S. officials and defense contractors.
The Pentagon report also provides insights into the efforts of other NATO countries and Ukraine’s partners. France and Sweden plan to double their production of projectiles and explosives by 2025, with artillery propellant charge production doubling by 2026 and gunpowder manufacturing increasing tenfold by the same year, though the report doesn’t specify initial figures.
At the same time, we should take into account the European industry's decades-long hiatus cut short by russian aggression, now scrambling to revitalize. For example, France stopped gunpowder production in 2007 and is only now resuming it.
The report also highlights plans for Germany, Spain, Hungary, South Africa, and Australia to collectively increase their production to 700,000 artillery shells and 10,000 tons of gunpowder per year by 2025. It also mentions a joint effort between Germany, Romania, and Spain to produce up to 1,000 GEM-T missiles for the Patriot system.
Other countries are also investing in expanding ammunition production, largely through the European ASAP program, which aims to boost production capacity to 2 million artillery rounds and missiles per year by 2025.
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