Japan to become a supplier of explosives for Ukraine

2 June, 2023 Explosive. Photo from open sources The US plans to involve Japan in the chain of production of artillery ammunition for Ukraine by arranging the supply of Japanese explosives.

Reuters reports with reference to its own sources. The United States is seeking to secure supplies of TNT in Japan for 155mm artillery shells, as Washington rushes weapons and ammunition to Ukraine for a counteroffensive against Russian forces. Back in March, Militarnyi wrote about the increase in the shortage of explosives on the world market, which greatly complicated the production of ammunition in large quantities.

At that time, it was about the lack of gunpowder and TNT, which delayed European contracts for years.

155mm artillery projectiles in the background of the M777 howitzer. Photo from open sources

Japanese explosives

Currently, Japan's legislation and export regulations prohibit Japanese companies from selling military goods abroad, so the country cannot help Ukraine and its allies directly with arms supplies. However, the Allies are likely to have found a workaround that would allow the sale of TNT in the face of a global munitions shortage.

"There is a way for the United States to buy explosives from Japan," one of the sources with knowledge of discussions on the matter in Japan shared with Reuters on the condition of anonymity. Export restrictions for dual-use products or equipment sold commercially are less stringent than for items with a purely military purpose. TNT, unlike ammunition, remains an important tool in some civilian areas, such as mining.

Tokyo has told the US government that it will allow the sale of industrial TNT because the explosive is not a military-use-only product, the other source told Reuters. The US wants to plug a Japanese company into a TNT supply chain to deliver explosives to the US army-owned munitions plants that would pack them into 155mm shell hulls.

155mm artillery rounds

Japan's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Economy declined to say whether any Japanese company had submitted a request on exporting TNT. The US State Department did not directly address questions from Reuters about whether the US planned to buy TNT in Japan but said that Washington was working with allies and partners "to provide Ukraine with the support it needs" to defend itself.

Japan, the Department added, "has demonstrated leadership in supporting Ukraine's defense".