Finland Agrees to Increase Ammunition Production
12 December, 2023 Production of 155mm projectiles at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in the USA. March 2023. Photo credits: The Washington Post
Finland will double its ammunition production to help Ukraine. Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen adopted a decision to increase local production capacity. The agency has committed to investing approximately EUR24 million to boost the production of heavy ammunition and secure long-term orders from the Finnish industry.
This initiative aims to enable the industry to make independent investments. In addition, the Finnish industry will be able to apply to the EU for support under the financial package of the Ammunition Production Support Regulation, known as ASAP (Act in Support of Ammunition Production). The total investment of the Finnish Ministry of Defense and Industry will be about EUR120 million.
Antti Hakkanen.
Photo from the politician's page
This will more than double the current level of production capacity. "The current solution will significantly increase the production capacity of heavy ammunition in Finland, which will enable long-term support for Ukraine until the 2030s. The increase in production is significant on a European scale, and will also strengthen Finland's defense capability," Hakkanen stated.
The Finnish Ministry of Defense emphasizes that the production of ammunition in the country has already increased several times compared to the period before the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine. "In addition, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense has placed long-term orders for heavy ammunition in the domestic industry. This allowed the domestic industry to hire additional personnel and increase the production of ammunition at existing facilities," the Head of the Department added.
155mm artillery shells.
Photo credits: telegraph.co.uk
Demand for artillery shells, including 155mm caliber, has soared since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The United States and its allies have already sent Kyiv more than two million such shells.
Western countries are currently ramping up artillery shell production to replenish reserves and supply Ukraine.