KNDS France proposal to increase Polish 155 mm artillery munitions production
With 210 km of border with Russia and 416 km with Belarus, Poland is definitely one of the NATO countries in direct contact with what has become the main threat to the west in the last few years. Its defence posture is leading Warsaw to deploy the most powerful western European Army, its artillery being on constant increase. Hence the need to create a considerable stock of munitions, data from Ukraine on daily consumptions speak loud, which led KNDS France to answer the Polish requirement for an increase of locally produced 155 mm artillery munitions
“At the start of the war in Ukraine, KNDS France decided to enter in a war economy posture, in accordance with the minister’s guidelines. This is reflected in concrete terms by internal growth, and the scaling of production facilities, particularly for munitions,” Pierre Gouaux, Regional Director for Ammunition, tells EDR On-Line. The ammunition output was tripled, and now KNDS France is multiplying by three the production of complete 155 mm 52 calibre artillery rounds per year, thanks to the acquisition of new machinery installed at its facility in Bourges, France, and that in Petit-Roeulx-Lez-Nivelles, Belgium, the plant of Colleferro, Italy, home of KNDS Ammo Italy, where modular charges are produced, having also been beefed up [1].
“Coming to Poland, this country has a long-standing relationship with France that dates back to WW I, which was translated more recently in the political landscape by the signing of the Treaty of Nancy between France and Poland. For defence this intended to introduce a European, if not French, preference on certain key segments,” Mr. Gouaux underlined.
Considering the growth of the Polish Army in the recent past, with many programmes still ongoing, the Polish Artillery will field in perspective 200 Krab and 600 K9 self-propelled tracked howitzers, the highest number in western Europe, hence the huge demand for 155 mm ammunition.
“We know that PGZ needs to ramp-up production and to build up a war stockpile of ammunition, as part of the Polish national program. We know that PGZ has the technical and technological resources to initiate this ramp-up, but also needs a technology transfer to save time and be able to achieve a product that meets performance, safety and especially range requirements,” Mr. Gouaux said, adding that KNDS France has in its portfolio ammunition capable to reach targets at over 40 km and which are compatible with the 155 mm 52 calibre artillery systems like the Krab and the K9 . “This led to numerous exchanges with PGZ for almost two years now, which have resulted in mutual audits. PGZ has visited the factories of KNDS France, KNDS Italy, and we have been to Poland on numerous occasions to learn about PGZ’s industrial breakdown, whether Nowa Dęba for Zakłady Metalowe Dezamet, Pionki for Mesko, or Bydgoszcz for Zakłady Chemiczne Nitro-Chem,” he added, the first two companies, Dezamet Metal Works and Mesko involved in mechanical manufacturing and the latter,Nitro-Chem Chemical Works in energetic materiel, the latter company being also an historical supplier of KNDS.
“We developed a favourable relationship with our Polish counterparts, at the end of which we proposed to PGZ a transfer of 155 mm ammunition, to meet the objective of producing between 150,000 and 200,000 complete rounds per year in Poland. Based on this objective, we issued an industrial strategy for implementing this solution that we are proposing to PGZ, and the goal is to plug our solution into PGZ’s existing infrastructure, taking into account all the different subsidiaries,” Pierre Gouaux told EDR On-Line, adding that KNDS approach is not to build huge new facilities without involving PGZ daughter companies, but to increase the skills of existing ones, respecting the industrial distribution on the ammunition production cycle.
EDR On-Line understood that the current Polish production capacity of 155 mm ammunition is one order of magnitude lower than what is targeted. The KNDS France proposal, which involves also KNDS Ammo Italy, looks at a three-year plan to reach the full production rate. The start should see raw shell bodies coming from France and/or Belgium, as the forge capacity will take more time for build-up; these will be machined locally, new machinery being more easily installed and new personnel trained. Following a phased approach, production will become fully national when the Polish counterpart will be fully ready. “One of the things that struck the Poles was seeing the machining unit, operated by a single person, which is capable to produce 35,000 shells per year,” something of key importance to improve productivity.
It is still unclear how PGZ and Poland want to organise production, if specialising each facility in a certain role or giving each one full production capability. Typically, one of the stovepipes is filling, facilities dealing with energetic materiel requiring huge surfaces to ensure maximum safety. This role falls on Nitro-Chem Chemical Works. “Currently the company is using the extrusion technology, however they asked us to make an offer for a melting cast line. They have the skills, and they well know that melting cast will allow them to switch to insensitive munitions when required, and we are fully ready to transfer this technology to the PGZ subsidiary,” the KNDS France representative explained.
Currently the agreement, should it be signed, will focus on the LU 211 HE extended range round which in the base bleed version has a range over 40 km, “but we are open to expand the scope of collaboration with PGZ to smoke and illuminating rounds. This might also lead further, for example to 120 mm tank rounds as well as to 155 mm artillery guided munitions, such as our Katana,” Pierre Gouaux added.
The proposed scheme for latest technology projectile is production under license. Through this strategic alliance, the perspective for the French branch of KNDS is also to acquire powders from the Polish-French partnership in the future, should the need arise.
As for fuses, KNDS France is working on a partnership with another French company that, as part of the plan, should offer its fuse following a full technology transfer scheme.
A decision from Poland seems imminent, KNDS France hoping to be the selected bidder. “We are willing to transfer our latest technologies, our combat proven solutions that have achieved very good results in Ukraine, in addition to CAESAR self-propelled howitzers which have demonstrated their great ability inthis very high intensity theatre combining high mobility and long-range precision,” the KNDS France Regional Director for Ammunition concluded.
Photos courtesy KNDS France, Polish MoD, PGZ
[1] In 2024 KNDS received a 41 million Euro financing from the European Defence Fund to increase the KNDS Ammo Italy modular charges production capacity 5 to 8 times.
