The Polish Armaments Group PGZ (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa) will receive PLN 2.4 billion (over $665 million) to expand its ammunition production capacity. In particular, special attention is being paid to 155mm artillery shells, which are currently in critical demand worldwide.
Currently, Poland produces about 20,000 large-caliber shells per year, which is extremely low. There are plans to increase annual production volumes to 150,000–180,000 units, a ninefold increase over previous levels, and achieve self-sufficiency in key types of ammunition within three years. For this, Warsaw plans to build three additional ammunition production plants Defence Industry Europe reports.
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Defense Express adds that despite a ninefold increase in production, it won't be nearly enough to ensure self-sufficiency if it's forces were involved in a high-intensity warfare, especially if they would also send ammunition to their allies.
For comparison, the U.S. plans to ramp up production to 100,000 155mm shells per month this summer — roughly 1.2 million per year. However, this is still not enough to fully meet its own needs and those of Ukraine, its strategic ally.
To put it into perspective, in August 2024, Ukraine used about 15,000 artillery shells daily, and now this figure is likely to be even higher. However, the situation is not as dire as it may seem, as Europe has significantly increased its ammunition production in recent years. For instance, Germany's Rheinmetall plans to reach a production rate of 700,000 155 mm shells annually by the end of 2025.
The allocated PLN 2.4 billion will soon be transferred to four PGZ companies: Dezamet, Mesko, Nitro-Chem, and Gamrat. However, the process of infrastructure development and reaching the planned pace will only be completed by the end of 2027.
It should be noted that Germany has taken the issue of ammunition production very seriously and plans to allocate €22 billion alone and guarantee orders until 2037.
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