Czechoslovak Group Acquires German Site for Nitroglycerin and Ammunition Production

Czechoslovak Group, through its German subsidiary CSG Energetic Materials Germany GmbH, has acquired a 57-hectare industrial site in Gnaschwitz, near Bautzen in the German state of Saxony, from MAXAM.

According to a CSG press release, the company will invest more than €100 million in the first phase of the project’s development. The investment will be used to establish production of nitroglycerin and nitroglycerin-based products, as well as to launch the manufacture of ammunition and ammunition components. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The newly acquired facility will become CSG’s second production site in Germany, following its earlier acquisition of the MSM Walsrode plant in Bomlitz.

Establishing nitroglycerin production at the site will enable CSG to supply a key raw material for propellant charges to its own Medium & Large Calibre and Ammo+ divisions, as well as to external customers. The site’s existing infrastructure also provides room for future production of medium-caliber ammunition, tank rounds, and 120 mm mortar ammunition.

In June 2025, Czechoslovak Group announced plans to launch its own nitrocellulose production, a key material used in the manufacture of artillery ammunition.

The company expects to build the new production capacity within the next two years.

In addition to its civilian applications, nitrocellulose is used in the production of propellants and explosives.

Both nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin are critical components in the manufacture of artillery ammunition.

With these investments, CSG is establishing a fully integrated production chain for large-caliber artillery ammunition, covering everything from shell bodies to explosives and propellant charges.

CSG also plans to establish jet engine production for unmanned systems in the United States.

The project will be carried out by Firecrest Aerospace, a new joint venture established by CSG subsidiaries CSE USA and AviaNera Technologies.