A breakthrough in the Polish arms industry. BAE Systems will provide 155 mm technology

The British concern BAE Systems, which will support the construction of Polish 155 mm ammunition factories, built one of its plants in 26 months. It is from this manufacturer that the Polish arms industry will acquire modern technology for the production of large-caliber bullets by 2028.

PGZ will build a cartridge filling line

In September last year, an agreement between PGZ and BAE Systems was signed at the plants of Dezamet, a company belonging to the Polish Armaments Group. It assumes that the British concern will provide the Polish arms industry with the technologies needed to produce modern 155 mm artillery ammunition, which is the NATO standard and used in the K9 and Krab gun howitzers.

BAE Systems director for Poland, Mirosław Janicki, explained in an interview with PAP that this agreement includes full technology transfer – both for the production of the so-called 155 mm shells, as well as the process of reloading explosives.

What is equally important – Janicki argued – PGZ will be able to launch an automated reloading line, i.e. filling cartridges with explosives. Exactly what BAE is currently putting into operation at its new factory in Glascoed, south Wales.

The shells themselves are manufactured at the BAE Systems plant in Washington, British. At this point, the steel billets are heated to the appropriate temperature and pressed into the initial shape of the bullet. They are then machined, surface treated and painted. In this form, they are sent to a plant in Glascoed, Wales, where they are filled with explosives. After reprocessing and quality control, the bullets are ready.

Automation of the process of filling shells with explosives will enable PGZ to increase the efficiency of missile production by more than sixteen times – to 50-70 thousand. pieces per year.

New technology of fusible explosives

When producing bullets, PGZ group companies will be able to use the fusible explosives technology developed by the British company – different from that currently used in Poland. – This will provide greater flexibility in the types of explosives that can be used – emphasized the director of BAE Systems.

Thanks to the British, Polish missiles will also have a longer range – up to 40 km, compared to the ranges of ammunition currently produced in the country.

The document signed in September assumes that PGZ will acquire the technology in 2027-2028, which – according to Janicki – is a realistic deadline. He pointed out that the automated factory in the previously mentioned Glascoed was built in 26 months, from scratch.

BAE Systems is an international concern that has been present in Poland for years. One of the first projects in cooperation with the Polish arms industry included the transfer of technology needed for the production of Krab gun howitzer turrets.

Increasing the Polish production capacity to several hundred thousand large-caliber bullets per year is the goal set for the Polish Armaments Group and its companies producing ammunition and explosives, i.e. the Nitro-Chem Chemical Plant in Bydgoszcz, MESKO in Świętokrzyskie, as well as the Belma Electromechanical Plant in Bydgoszcz, the Dezamet plant in Nowa Dęba and the Gamrat company in Jasło. Private entities are also trying their hand in the industry, such as Grupa Niewiadów and Grupa WB, which is developing its competences primarily in the field of building missiles.

Producers will be co-financed to rapidly increase the production capacity of the Polish armaments industry in terms of artillery ammunition. For this purpose, a special act was passed last year, under which PLN 3 billion was transferred to them – PLN 2 billion from the Ministry of National Defense budget and one billion from RARS assets. These funds were transferred to the Capital Investment Fund managed by the Ministry of State Assets. Companies wishing to expand their production capacity then submitted applications for funding.

In addition to the expansion of factories, the issue of acquiring the technology needed to produce modern ammunition has become crucial, including: for the production of the so-called multi-base powders. For this purpose, Polish companies had to start cooperation with foreign partners; Dezamet established cooperation with the British BAE Systems, and Mesko with the French Eurenco.

Filip Romik (PAP)

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