NATO inks twin artillery deals worth $1.2B to replenish allies' stocks, help Ukraine

The French-made, truck-mounted Caesar artillery system, shown during a demonstration at Eurosatory 2022. (Photo: Christina Mackenzie/Breaking Defense)

WASHINGTON — Ukrainian military forces’ need for a steady supply of artillery rounds has dwindled some allies’ stockpiles and prompted NATO to today announce a pair of deals valued at $1.2 billion for hundreds of thousands of 155mm rounds.

“Russia’s war in Ukraine has become a battle for ammunition so it is important that allies refill their own stocks, as we continue to support Ukraine,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a signing ceremony. “The NATO Support and Procurement Agency enables allies to pull together and pool their resources: To give them the weapons and ammunition we need to keep our countries safe.”

This round of deals includes one with France’s Nexter Munitions and one with Germany’s Junghans Microtec for 155mm ammunition that can be launched from the Caesar and the German Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000) self-propelled howitzers. In a separate press release, NATO noted that while three allies requested those specific 155mm rounds, nine NATO countries use Caesar and PZH-2000 howitzers, which means the production order could benefit multiple end users.

Those contracts are just the latest move by NATO, and individual countries, to boost artillery production since Russian forces invaded Ukraine almost two years ago. And just last year, NATO pledged to spend $1 billion in joint procurements for 155mm ammunition to address shortfalls in allied stockpiles.

Meanwhile, today’s artillery deals were officially unveiled ahead of today’s 18th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting headed up by US Defense Secretary Llyod Austin. Austin, however, came to the meeting unable to make new weapons pledges because Congress has not yet approved a supplemental spending bill enabling the administration to replenish any weapons it pulls from its stocks to send to Ukraine.

“We do need Congress to pass our supplemental budget request: Until then, we haven’t been able to provide any [presidential drawdown authority] PDAs since Dec. 27,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters at the Pentagon on Monday.

Still, she reiterated that the US has provided Ukraine with billions of dollars’ worth of weapons and the meeting is another chance to discuss Ukrainian military needs.

“It will be another opportunity to touch on, you know, certain milestones that need to be met, but also to continue to coordinate on the fact that even though we aren’t able to provide security assistance right now, our partners are continuing to do that and it’s an important forum to convene and say, ‘Hey, what else does Ukraine need for the future?'” she added.