Rheinmetall to Double 155 mm Shell Production at Future Plant in Ukraine

German defense company Rheinmetall plans to significantly increase the annual output of its 155 mm artillery shell production facility in Ukraine, which is still under construction.

Armin Papperger, the chief executive officer of Rheinmetall AG, Germany’s largest defense company, announced this as reported by the German Aid to Ukraine project.

By doubling the plant’s capacity, Rheinmetall aims to produce up to 300,000 155 mm shells annually.

This move aligns with Ukraine’s broader strategy to lessen its dependence on Western suppliers and strengthen its autonomy in ammunition production.

However, according to Papperger, the implementation of this plan faces certain challenges, including bureaucratic hurdles in Ukraine that are slowing down the construction process of the plant.

Meanwhile, he noted that despite those plans, Ukraine lacked the funds to carry out such an expansion of production.

In July 2024, it was revealed that the German defense conglomerate Rheinmetall had received an order from the Ukrainian government to build an ammunition manufacturing plant.

The order includes the full technical outfitting of the plant before its commissioning.

The plant itself will hold a controlling stake in the Rheinmetall company, as confirmed by Papperger.

He also stated that the Rheinmetall ammunition manufacturing plant in Ukraine was set to begin operations in 2026.

Furthermore, he emphasized that the company aimed to build three factories in Ukraine, which would continue to operate in the future, regardless of whether the war in Ukraine continued or ended during the construction phase.

Papperger also pointed out that the construction of new factories in Germany was progressing much faster, as most of the bureaucratic obstacles had been removed, unlike in Ukraine.