With over one billion kroner, the Norwegian state wants to increase the country’s artillery production tenfold.
The need is great in Ukraine, according to the country’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, but the question is how much will remain in Norway.
– This war is devouring millions with artillery shells, says Per Olsson, defense economist at FOI.
Norway’s counterpart to the Defense Materiel Agency has entered into an agreement with the Norwegian defense group Nammo with the aim of increasing the country’s artillery production.
With support of over one billion Norwegian kroner, Nammo will, among other things, build a new production facility and thus be able to increase the production of artillery shells tenfold.
“Ukraine has a huge and urgent need for ammunition. This is very important for Ukraine, for our allies and for our own national preparedness,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in a press release when the investment was announced.
“Swallows millions of artillery shells”
In several places in the West, stocks have run out when ammunition was sent to the front in Ukraine. Sweden’s Minister of Defense Pål Jonson (M) has previously expressed that support for Ukraine is fixed, but that the form may change in the future.
– We will have to go from donation to production, where we use the strong defense industrial base we have here in Sweden, says Jonson to TV4 Nyheterna.
According to Per Olsson, defense economist at FOI, around one million grenades are manufactured in Europe a year. In Ukraine, the need is far greater – upwards of two million are consumed per year.
– This war is devouring millions with artillery shells, says Per Olsson.
Military equipment such as tanks, armored vehicles and artillery pieces sent to Ukraine are often things that are a bit older and are about to be phased out, but they have also sent a lot of modern equipment.
Much will have to go to Ukraine
However, Sweden has had to send relatively new equipment because much of the old equipment was decommissioned after the Cold War. But it is not likely that Sweden would have problems with too small stocks, believes Per Olsson.
– Much will have to go to Ukraine, but the idea is to increase production volumes so that you can donate and keep, says Per Olsson.
Is there a risk that one donates too much to Ukraine and ends up without?
– I do not think so. It is worth remembering that Ukraine is tying up Russian forces. A new war elsewhere is less likely when they are stuck there. And the Ukrainians want this help to be able to continue fighting for their country. There is a logic in helping them.