It’s the shell everybody seems to want.
Since the war began in Ukraine the demand for the relatively low-tech 155mm ammunition has skyrocketed, with the nation firing as many as 8,000 rounds per day, according to some published estimates.
From Asia to Europe to the United States, arms manufacturers are building new facilities to boost the capacity to produce the shell, not only to supply Ukraine but also to replenish domestic stocks.
But the captains of the defense industry wonder how long the demand will last and if they risk overbuilding production capacity.
In the United States, the Army is looking to significantly ramp up 155mm production, with a stated goal of producing 100,000 rounds per month by 2025. As of February, the Army was “manufacturing 30,000 155mm rounds per month, doubling its previous output of 14,000 rounds prior to the conflict,” according to a service release.
Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, said the Army is now “on a path” to producing 70,000 to 80,000 rounds per month by the end of 2024 or early 2025.
Hellbound and Down 