WSJ: Europe has difficulty ramping up munitions production

Europe is trying to increase the production of ammunition in sufficient quantities for Ukraine and itself, but is facing serious difficulties, the WSJ reports, citing its sources in government circles and the defense industry.

EU efforts are reportedly hampered by a lack of manufacturing capacity, regulatory restrictions, a shortage of specialized workers, bottlenecks in supply chains, the industry’s high financing costs and even environmental regulations.

“Not a single NATO country, except the United States, has either a sufficient supply of weapons to conduct a major artillery war, or the industrial capacity to create such reserves. This means that NATO will not be able to defend its territory against major adversaries if it is attacked now,” Nico Lange, a former senior German defense official, told the newspaper.

German officials, on condition of anonymity, admit that now Germany, in the event of a Russian attack, would have enough shells for a maximum of two weeks. This is well below the NATO requirements, according to which the members of the Alliance must have enough ammunition for at least 30 days of hostilities.

Ukraine uses up to 40,000 NATO artillery shells of 155 mm caliber per month. While the total annual production of such shells in Europe is about 300,000, says the owner of a Czech ammunition manufacturer.

According to him, even if the war stops overnight, it will take Europe up to 15 years to replenish its stocks at the current rate of production.

Earlier it was reported that the United States will take years to replenish stocks of Javelins, Stingers and long-range missiles after deliveries of weapons to Ukraine.