The alliance’s 32 nations are on track to produce two million 155-millimeter projectiles this year, according to data released by NATO headquarters. This is significantly more than before and is the result of a rather impressive industrial turnover, the NATO official said.
At the same time, the official admitted that production volumes are still too low and ammunition is still too expensive. For example, according to Western intelligence, Russia can produce about three million artillery rounds a year, which gives it an advantage in the war against Ukraine.
The defense industry of NATO countries is not adapted to such a large demand, which makes it difficult to provide military assistance to Ukraine.
Standardization must also be improved to increase efficiency and reduce costs. To this end, NATO members want to instruct the new NATO Secretary General, Mark Ritt, to present proposals for the modernization and standardization of defense material production at the meeting of defense ministers scheduled for February. Among other things, it should include the question of how to further integrate the industry and how to ensure that the standards already adopted are actually implemented.