Circulating ammunition, anti-tank bombs, machine gun bullets, missiles for HIMARS… Thousands of tons of ammunition are dropped every day in Ukraine. Only in artillery shells, Ukraine fires 7,000 rounds a dayand Russia 20,000, according to official US sources cited by the AFP agency. The speed is dizzying and neither the country nor its NATO allies are producing all that is needed. Diplomatic sources explain that with such a brutal expenditure of ammunition it is difficult to keep up with the rhythm of the battle. That is why the European Union urges partners to start a joint ammunition purchase program, and the USA, the main supplier of Ukraine, multiplies contracts and companies involved in production.
“A lot of ammunition is spent in Ukraine, among other things, because a war like WWIISpeaking to El Periódico de España from the Prensa Ibérica group, former Chief of Staff General Fernando Alejandre said, “Artillery ‘barriers’ are being set up and attacks on trenches and fortified positions are carried out as they were then.” “If they told me a few years ago, I wouldn’t believe it,” she adds.
155 caliber ammunition
Highest priority among all ammunition used, caliber 155 mm. Continuing supply is the “most pressing issue” for Ukraine, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said on Monday. “And if we fail at this, the outcome of the war is at risk.”
155 mm shells are essentially metal warheads weighing several kilograms (13 kg of those belonging to the Spanish Army) containing explosives. They are used in artillery systems to destroy enemy lines on the 500-kilometer front in eastern Ukraine. An important part of the tens of thousands of soldiers who died from both sides in this war were from such bullets.
“155mm The basic ammunition used by the artillery sent by the West, Christian Villanueva, military analyst and director of Revista Ejércitos, explains to this paper. “Ukraine had howitzers of Soviet caliber, such as 122 mm, before the war. As they start to buy Western self-propelled and towed howitzers, mostly 155mm, they are dependent on this ammunition, which we have very little and very little production.”
Estonia on Monday presented its European partners with a joint purchase plan of one million rounds of these artillery shells. total amount of 4,000 million euros. It’s about repeating the scheme of sourcing sanitary supplies in a “pool” that was successfully implemented during the pandemic and was scarce at the time. Weapons companies need medium or long-term contracts to change their production priorities. If it continues, this munitions plan will be included in the European Peace Mechanism, according to the draft available to Europa Press. The final decision will have to be made by the Community Defense Ministers, who will meet in Sweden on 7 and 8 March.
war frenzy
The USA has entered a real production race and plans to increase the number of these howitzers by five within two years. So far, the United States Armed Forces has produced about 15,000 rounds each month. They want to reach 90,000 to meet the needs of their Ukrainian allies. For this, new manufacturers will be given contracts and new factories will be established. are Production levels not seen since the Korean War, according to the New York Times. This assumes a certain turn of the natural direction that the Pentagon has so far been more interested in acquiring more precision and guided munitions, but in smaller quantities. The army has already announced that it has signed contracts with two companies (Northrop Grumman Systems and Global Military ProductsAll under the Pentagon’s Ukraine Assistance Programme, it’s worth more than half a billion dollars to start delivering the extra 155mm guns starting next March, the AP reported.
General Alejandre explains that the lack of ammunition is due not only to the problem of resupplying what Ukraine needs, but also to Western arsenals being emptied. The supply of ammunition is measured as follows: “supply days” (English abbreviation DoS) is what is given to different units according to their tasks. “In secret gunpowder magazines, ammo is also held for battle reserve, but there is a limit to what can be stored because it can be redeemed and has a non-limited lifespan,” Alejandre said.
Spain deals Replenish ammo sent to Ukraine. In particular, the C-90 and C-100 disposable grenade launchers of the Spanish company Instalaza, one of which is used in the war against Russian tanks, as they are easy to use and disposable. On December 12, the Ministry of Defense approved a shipment of 4.5 million to purchase ammunition from Instalaza, the company that produces them, as this newspaper can confirm on the public procurement portal.
The war frenzy has undermined the reluctance of many countries to spend the last decades on arms spending. Japan has launched the largest attempt to modernize its Army since WWII. Germany offered 100,000 million Euro shock plan To address the shortcomings of the Armed Forces.
Accelerator is also printed in the UK. Retired General Richard Barrons recently warned: the country’s ammo reserve will be spent in a day If there was an all-out war with Russia. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace acknowledged that supplies for the British Armed Forces are running out and that increased military spending will be needed for at least the next two decades.