Reference my previous post an update and a comment.
Update
There has been some positive news on European 155mm ammunition production. Rheinmetall has broken ground on a new ammunition plant at its main site in Unterluess. The total value of the investment is reported to be €300m. It is not clear if the plant will manufacture all of the components for a 155mm projectile or how Rheinmetall will ensure that the supply chain to support a capacity of 200,000 rounds per year will be in place.
As usual the media announcement raise more questions. Is the investment in Germany aligned with the rest of European production? What does it mean for production in other European nations? Will it only produce rounds that are compatible with the Panzer Howitzer (PZH) 2000? Rheinmetall does not have a track record in High Explosive Fill Assemble and Pack (FAP) - when will the plant to reach full capacity?
Of course this is good news. It would be good to see this as part of a European wide plan to increase capacity. Such a plan could be co-ordinated by the EU via the European Defence Agency or via NATO, or both. Perhaps that picture will emerge in the coming months.
Comment
A comment on the previous post - Questions - 155mm Ammunition - from a European procurement official, which was received prior to the Rheinmetall announcement:
Paul your questions and worries are spot-on! Especially on the issue of barrels, I know from experience it takes 14-16 months to produce a new barrel 120/155mm and nobody seems to care. I miss a ‘task force’ within EDA/NATO to come up with actual solutions and real actions. A lot of (political) talk and no (visible) action.