Poland plans to increase production of large-caliber artillery shells fivefold to address a severe ammunition shortage, State Property Minister Jakub Jaworowski said.
The government will invest around 566 million euros in the state-owned PGZ industry to sharply increase domestic production of heavy artillery ammunition, including 155 mm shells for howitzers and 120 mm shells for tanks.
The move comes as Russia’s war with neighboring Ukraine continues to shape security policies across Europe.
Jaworowski told the Financial Times that the aim is to increase PGZ’s annual production from the current 30,000 to as many as 180,000 shells over the next three years, Polish public broadcaster TVP World reported.
All production will take place within Poland to avoid dependence on imported components.
“The goal is to ensure Poland’s independence from foreign supplies and build a sustainable, self-sufficient defense base,” Jaworowski said.
The investment is part of a broader shift in Warsaw’s defense strategy. Poland currently spends about 4.7 percent of its GDP on its military, the highest in NATO, but most of that money has so far been spent on buying weapons from abroad, especially the United States and South Korea.
The new centrist, pro-European government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk now wants to shift military spending to domestic arms production.
The initiative also reflects broader efforts by the European Union to strengthen its own weapons production capabilities in response to security threats and vulnerabilities in supply chains.
According to the Financial Times, despite its large military spending, Poland is facing serious shortages of artillery ammunition. In April, the head of Poland’s National Security Bureau warned that artillery shells would only last one to two weeks in the event of a Russian attack.
Around the same time, the chairman of the PGZ board resigned after just a year in office, reportedly due to dissatisfaction with the slow pace of production.
On Monday, Poland also signed contracts for the purchase of 24 AIM-9L air-to-air missiles for FA-50 light combat aircraft and the delivery of 12 armored medical vehicles based on the domestic Rosomak chassis.
“I think the pilots of the Air Force have been waiting for this moment for a long time. The FA-50 aircraft are finally armed and ready not only for training but also for combat operations,” said Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.
He criticized the former conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government, claiming that it had concluded a contract to purchase the aircraft without ensuring their operability or training capabilities.
“When we came to the ministry, there was not even a certificate that would allow the use of these aircraft,” he said.
He added that the ministry has since completed the certification process, armed the aircraft and included them in the training program.
Last year, however, the specialized portal “Defence24” played down the current government’s criticism of PiS, stating that the FA-50 aircraft already have the ability to use other weapons in the Polish arsenal, AA writes.
