NATO signs a contract for important artillery ammunition to replenish allied supplies

NATO signed a $1.2 billion contract on Tuesday to make tens of thousands of artillery rounds to replenish its member states’ dwindling supplies as they supply ammunition to Ukraine to help the country defeat the Russian invasion.

The contract allows for the purchase of 220,000 rounds of 155-millimeter ammunition, the most sought-after artillery shell, according to NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency. It will allow allies to replenish their arsenals and supply Ukraine with more ammunition.

This is important to defend our own territory, to build up our own supplies, but also to continue supporting Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters.

We cannot allow President (Vladimir) Putin to win in Ukraine,” he added. “That would be a tragedy for Ukrainians and dangerous for all of us.

Ukraine fired about 4,000 to 7,000 artillery shells every day last summer, while Russia fired more than 20,000 shells daily into the territory of its neighbors, according to European Union estimates.

Russia’s arms industry is much larger than Ukraine’s and Kiev needs help to match Moscow’s firepower.

But the grenades won’t arrive anytime soon. Delivery to order will take 24 to 36 months, the NATO agency said.

The European Union’s plans to produce 1 million artillery shells for Ukraine have fallen short; only about a third of the target has been achieved. Senior EU officials have said they now expect the European defense industry to produce around a million grenades annually by the end of this year.

First print: January 23, 2024 | 11:59 PM IST