ПРОИЗВОДСТВО ОСНОВНЫХ СИСТЕМ ВООРУЖЕНИЯ ЗАПАДА ДО И ПОСЛЕ ФЕВРАЛЯ 2024 ГОДА
The Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies publishes a report that provides an overview of key changes in the defense industry of the United States, Europe, Israel, South Korea, and Japan after 2022. The results show that leading Western countries are accelerating the pace of production of weapons and military equipment, expanding production capacities, and investing resources in the development of new systems that will enter service in the coming years. This is not only a response to the challenges of the present, but also an attempt to create a reserve for the future, preparing for potential conflicts and unpredictable changes in the global security system.
The events of 2022, in particular the special military operation of Russia in Ukraine, clearly demonstrated that the quality of weapons cannot completely replace the quantity. High losses of military equipment in a full-scale modern conflict confirmed the need to increase the rate of production of major weapons systems. Leading Western countries, such as the United States, the EU, Israel, South Korea and Japan, have accelerated the modernization of their defense potential and increased the production of military equipment and ammunition. The main reason was not only the increased demand from their own armed forces, but also the need to support allies, primarily Ukraine.
The conflict has exposed supply problems for NATO countries, especially with 155mm and 152mm artillery shells. In response, EU and NATO countries have launched programs to support the defense industry and developed long-term strategies to strengthen their armed forces. Major Western manufacturers such as General Dynamics, BAE Systems, Rheinmetall and Hanwha Aerospace have expanded their production capacities. Particular attention is paid to the modernization of existing platforms – such as the Ml Abrams tanks in the US and the Merkava in Israel – as part of programs to increase their combat effectiveness and integrate the latest technologies. At the same time, new combat systems are being developed, which are scheduled to enter service in the early 2030s. Thus, 2022 became a turning point when Western countries began large-scale investments in expanding their defense capabilities. This is not only a response to the challenges of today, but also an attempt to create a reserve for the future, preparing for potential conflicts and unpredictable changes in the global security system.
Basic provisions
The document presents a detailed analysis of the status and trends of production of key weapons systems in Western countries. It examines changes that have occurred since 2022 and highlights the main areas of growth and modernization in the defense sectors of the United States, Israel, European countries, South Korea and Japan. The conflict in Ukraine has led to an increase in the production of artillery shells, anti-tank systems and air defense systems in NATO countries and their partners. Leading Western states are investing significant resources in the development of new weapons systems that will enter service in the coming years.
The United States maintains its leadership in the production of armored vehicles and weapons, focusing on upgrading existing systems such as the M1A2 Abrams tank and Stryker armored personnel carrier. Large investments are directed to the development of new weapons systems. Key companies — General Dynamics, BAE Systems and Oshkosh Defense — are fulfilling contracts for the supply of armored vehicles and missile systems, and are also investing in the creation of new tanks and robotic systems.
European countries are actively increasing the production of armored vehicles and weapons, replacing obsolete models and making up for losses caused by deliveries to Ukraine. Europe’s production capabilities are limited by a shortage of materials, high energy prices, and dependence on long-term contracts. To address these problems, European companies are expanding capacity and investing in modernizing factories, but their capabilities are still limited. Many countries are forced to turn to foreign manufacturers, especially from the United States, to make up for the equipment shortage.
Israel relies on its own developments – Merkava tanks and Namer and Eitan armored personnel carriers, but remains dependent on external supplies of hulls, engines and ammunition from the United States. South Korea shows rapid growth in weapons production, especially 155-mm self-propelled howitzers K9 and K2 tanks, actively increasing exports, including contracts with Poland and other countries. South Korean products are attractive to potential recipients due to their high quality, relatively low cost and fast order fulfillment. The Japanese defense industry is developing relatively slowly. Tanks and combat vehicles are produced in small volumes due to the specifics of the country’s defense policy. There are no companies that deal exclusively with military products – their share in the turnover of the largest manufacturers is less than 20%. Japan still prioritizes the production of weapons and military equipment to protect its own borders, rather than creating an export-oriented defense-industrial system.
Tanks and armored combat vehicles
Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine has confirmed the relevance of using armored vehicles on the battlefield. Today, most of the armed forces of the world operate models developed during the Cold War. To replace the outdated fleet, military departments are investing in the creation and purchase of new-generation vehicles with increased efficiency, protection, and digital control systems.
The largest manufacturer of armored vehicles is the United States, which occupies about 40% of the market. According to the US Congressional Budget Office, the total cost of acquiring ground combat vehicles by the US Army until 2050 is projected to be $5 billion per year, of which $4.5 billion will go to purchasing equipment and $0.5 billion to research and development. The projected procurement costs mainly concern restored and modernized versions of existing vehicles1. According to estimates, the emergence of fundamentally new foreign platforms is expected in the early 2030s.2 Below is the dynamics of production of tanks and armored combat vehicles in the USA, Israel, European countries, South Korea and Japan.
United States of America
The industrial base of the modern armored industry of the United States is characterized by a high degree of concentration and monopolization of production. The main manufacturers of armored vehicles for the national armed forces are two transnational military-industrial private corporations – General Dynamics and BAE Systems, as well as Oshkosh Defense. In addition, AM General, Textron Systems and GM Defense, which specialize in the manufacture of armored vehicles, are involved in production. Since 2022, American Rheinmetall Vehicles, a subsidiary of the German corporation Rheinmetall, has been operating in the United States.
General Dynamics Land Systems
General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) is a global leader in the development, production, modernization and maintenance of tracked and wheeled military vehicles. Its vehicles are used in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, the Middle East and North Africa. Final assembly of armored vehicles is carried out at two GDLS plants – in Lima, Ohio, and Anniston, Alabama. Each plant has its own testing ground. In Lima there is a tankodrome with a track 4.5 km long and 10 to 18 m wide, as well as a test site measuring 170 * 110 m, a race track with a track 3.7 km long and 3.5 m wide is equipped. In Anniston there is a tankodrome with a track of a total length of 2.1 km and a width of 15 m. The facilities are connected to railways: in Lima – on two sides, in Anniston – on one side, points for loading armored vehicles onto two freight trains are equipped, and two railway stations, on the tracks of which up to seven trains can be simultaneously (in Lima), and a railway station (up to ten trains, in Anniston). In May 2024, the Lima plant began modernization, and over the next 15 years, the enterprise will receive investments of about $580 million. This facility became part of the overall plan for the reconstruction of the US defense-industrial complex, for the implementation of which more than $17 billion was allocated.3
Main tanks М1А2 SEPv3 Abrams
The production of Ml Abrams tanks at the Lima plant for the US Armed Forces ended in 2001, and for export — back in 1995. Today, new Abrams tanks are not produced, but rather the modernization of existing vehicles or those withdrawn from storage depots is carried out. Their total number, according to analysts, is 6,000 units, including tanks in combat units of the US Army and Marine Corps, in foreign storage depots and Pentagon military bases4.
The hulls of previous versions of vehicles are cut and welded anew. This is explained by significant design changes made to the Ml — in particular, the turrets of early tank modifications that cannot be modernized are replaced with modern ones. As of February 2023, the enterprise produced 15-20 tanks per month (180-240 per year). This figure can be increased to 33 units per month (up to 400 per year), and by adding another work shift, it is possible to produce even more5.
In December 2020, the company received a $4.62 billion incentive contract to upgrade M1A1 Abrams tanks to the M1A2 SEPv3 version for the US Army. Funding for each order is determined separately. The estimated completion date of the overall contract is June 17, 2028.6
By 2026, the US Army will receive 812 M1A2 SEPv3 tanks, which means an average delivery of 135 tanks per year (11 tanks per month). As a result, on average, in the period 2024-2025, the plant should produce 292 tanks (up to 25 tanks per month). In November 2023 – March 2024. The US government approved the possible sale of 54 M1A2 SEPv3 tanks and related equipment to Romania for $2.53 billion, and 50 tanks of the same type for $2.2 billion to Bahrain. In November 2023, the Abrams tank upgrade program to the M1A2 SEPv4 version was curtailed and a decision was made to develop a more radically updated vehicle. In May 2024, the US Army signed a contract with General Dynamics Land Systems to design the next-generation Abrams tank, designated the M1E3 Abrams. The Abrams M1E3 tank should be ready in the early 2030s.
According to the American publication Defense News7, the weight of the M1E3 will decrease to 60 tons (M1A2 SEPv3 – 73 tons). The tank will receive an integrated Trophy active protection system, a UAV countermeasure system, a hybrid power plant that consumes 50% less fuel, and a remotely controlled turret. The digital basis for the tank will be the next-generation electronic architecture KATALYST, which will unite all systems. The vehicle crew will be reduced from four to three people and will receive a surveillance system with a 360-degree view and augmented reality technology, as well as the ability to interact with ground unmanned vehicles.
Combat vehicles with heavy weapons (БМТВ) MIO Booker
The MIO Booker is the first completely new combat vehicle of the US Army in 40 years. It weighs 38 tons, is armed with a 105-mm M35 gun, and has a turret and fighting compartment similar to the M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tank. The crew is four people. In June 2022, the company signed a contract for the development and production of 96 MIO Booker BMTVs worth $ 1.14 billion, and serial production began in May 2024. In 2025, the Pentagon plans to purchase 33 vehicles for a total of $ 460.6 million8, meaning one unit is valued at $ 13.95 million. In total, the US Armed Forces plan to receive 504 M10 Booker BMTVs by 2035.
Armored combat vehicles (ACV) типа Stryker DVH Al
GDLS has upgraded the Stryker AFV to the Stryker DVH Al, which features a double-V belly, hybrid engine, digital control system, and improved suspension. The company has been awarded a $2.48 billion incentive contract for the work, which is scheduled to be completed by April 30, 2027.9 GDLS has been awarded a $712.3 million order to build 300 Stryker DVH Al vehicles starting in 2024.10 In June 2024, the Pentagon awarded GDLS a $65.9 million contract to build 28 vehicles for delivery to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with work to be completed by December 31, 2026.11
Self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and gun systems Stryker M-Shorad
In February 2018, at the request of the US Armed Forces, emergency development of the Stryker M-SHORAD self-propelled air defense system for combating small UAVs, helicopters, aircraft and cruise missiles began. The vehicle is a remotely controlled anti-aircraft combat module mounted on a Stryker DVH Al armored personnel carrier chassis with a 30-mm XM914 automatic cannon, a coaxial 7.62-mm M240 machine gun, an M299 launcher for two AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles and a four-round Stinger SAM launcher, as well as an electro-optical target detection and tracking unit. GDLS received a fixed-price incentive contract from the US Armed Forces for $1.2 billion for the production of 144 vehicles by September 30, 2025.12
Engineering machines
In addition to tanks, contracts with foreign countries also include engineering vehicles: M1074 tank-launched bridges – 17 units each for Poland and Australia, M1150 ABV mine clearing vehicles – 29 for Australia and four for Romania. The Pentagon plans to purchase the M1150 ABV. In February 2024, it signed a contract with Pearson Engineering, located in the UK, for the supply of mine trawlers and other equipment for the M1150 in the amount of $ 11.2 million. Production of the M1150 ABV is planned to begin at the plant in Anniston and be completed by June 30, 2025.13 In addition, representatives of the Polish Ministry of Defense are negotiating the acquisition of 25 M1150 ABV.
Military robotic platforms MUTT
MUTT (Multi-Utility Tactical Transport) is a multi-role semi-autonomous robotic platform used for fire support, resupply and casualty evacuation, counter-UAV, reconnaissance and surveillance, radiation, chemical and biological defense, and electronic warfare. GDLS will manufacture 624 MUTTs for the US Armed Forces for $162.4 million by October 2024. Deliveries began in 2021.14
Participation in competitions
General Dynamics Land Systems is participating in several competitions to create new types of equipment:
In June 2023, the US Army Command signed a $768.7 million contract with GDLS for the third and fourth stages (detailed design, assembly of HMZO prototypes and their testing). By the end of 2027, each company is tasked with producing up to I variants of the vehicle. The winning company will receive a contract worth over $45 billion, and the first serial HMZOs should enter service with the US Army at the end of 2029. The new AFV will have an open architecture with the ability to integrate various systems15.
In January-November 2023, the ARV-30 prototype, presented by GDLS to the US Marine Corps Command, was successfully tested. It is expected that a successor to the LAV will be determined within two years, and the contract value will be from $1.8 to $6.8 billion over a five-year period16.
In 2024, as part of the first stage of the RCV program (the total amount of compensation for participants in the competition is $ 24.7 million), the company must present two prototypes of the TRX (Tracked Robot 10-ton) unmanned platform. By the end of the second stage in 2025, the winner will be determined, in 2026 it is planned to release up to nine full-fledged prototypes, and in 2027 it is planned to move on to serial production17.
BAE Systems
One of the world’s largest manufacturers of weapons and military equipment, the British transnational corporation BAE Systems is a diversified industrial association with a subsidiary in the United States. The corporation’s Platforms & Services division specializes in the production of tracked and wheeled armored combat vehicles, artillery and missile systems, ammunition and supplies, maintenance and modernization of naval equipment for American and international customers. Armored vehicles are produced in the United States at three plants – in York, Pennsylvania, Anniston, Alabama, and Elgin, Oklahoma. The largest is the plant in York, on the territory of which there is a test site with a racetrack with a total length of 1.4 km and a width of 8 m, a test site measuring 160 * 60 m, reconstructed in 2022-2024. A railway line with a loading point for equipment on two freight trains has been connected to the enterprise.
In 2023, the company restructured its York facility to make room for new vehicles: the AMPV and ACV amphibious vehicles. The upgrades cost $250 million in internal investment and $27 million in funding from the US military.18 As a result, the York facility is expected to produce 190 AMPVs (16 per month) and 240 ACVs (20 per month) per year.19
Beginning in the third quarter of 2023,20 primary and final assembly of the M109A7 155mm self-propelled howitzer will be transferred to the Anniston and Elgin plants. Anniston will assemble the M88A2 armored recovery vehicle, upgrade the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle into the M2A4 Bradley IFV and the M7A4 Bradley fire support vehicle. Hull production will be outsourced to a third-party manufacturer (not specified). According to experts from the analytical company GlobalData, BAE Systems will capture 26% of the land military equipment market in North America with projected revenue of $16.6 billion in 2023-2033.21
AMPV Armored Combat Vehicles The AMPV (Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle) tracked AFV is based on the upgraded M2 Bradley IFV chassis to replace 2,897 M113 vehicles. The AMPV includes five types: the XM1283 armored personnel carrier, the XM1286 command vehicle, the XM1285 medical vehicle, the XM1284 medical evacuation vehicle, and the XM1287 120mm self-propelled mortar. In December 2014, BAE Systems was awarded a $1.2 billion incentive contract, valid through February 28, 2027, to develop and manufacture the AMPV22 vehicles. The company began serial production in August 2023.
In 2024, the Pentagon planned to purchase 197 AMPV-type AFVs: 91 vehicles for $555 million, within the budget, and another 106 units through additional funding approved by the US Congress, provided to cover part of the costs of sending about 400 MPZ-type AFVs to Ukraine23.
As part of the overall contract from 2014, in March 2024, the company received an order (the last in the agreement) for the production of AMPV-type AFVs in 2026-2027 in the amount of $754 million.24
ACV-Type Armored Fighting Vehicles The US Marine Corps selected BAE Systems to replace the AAV-type AFV with the 8×8 wheeled amphibious ACV (ACV) AFV, awarding $88 million in funding in August 2022 for the development of the ACV family of AFVs. By the end of 2024, 287 ACV-P linear armored personnel carriers and 14 ACV-C command vehicles are to be produced. In April 2024, the company signed a $79 million contract to create the ACV-based ACV-R ARV. The test vehicles are scheduled to be delivered in 2025. Since the beginning of 2023, BAE Systems has received orders for production from the end of 2024 to July 2026 of 106 ACV-P and 17 ACV-C worth $675.3 million. A total of 4,350 ACV-type AFVs are planned to be purchased by 2040 at a program cost of $22.3 billion.25
Infantry fighting vehicles М2А4 Bradley and forward-guided vehicles М7А4 Bradley
BAE Systems will upgrade the M2A2 and M2AZ Bradley IFVs to the M2A4 version starting in 2021 and produce the M7A4 Bradley forward air guidance and artillery fire adjustment vehicles based on the latest modification. The new M2A4 Bradley vehicle has enhanced protection, a new power plant, an improved chassis, and modern communications equipment. In 2023, the company signed contracts worth $594.5 million for the period through March 2026. In total, the US Army plans to receive more than 700 upgraded M2A4 Bradley IFVs by 202926.
155-мм self-propelled howitzers М109А7 and field artillery ammunition transport vehicles М992АЗ
The 155mm/39 M109A7 self-propelled howitzers and the M992AZ armored ammunition transport vehicles based on them have been in serial production since 2019. In the period 2022-2023, the company signed six contracts for the production of vehicles until December 2028 for $1.4 billion. In total, by the end of 2024, BAE Systems must manufacture 310 kits, each of which includes one M109A7 self-propelled howitzer and one M992A327 vehicle, i.e. 60 kits per year (five per month).
Armored repair and recovery vehicles (БРЭМ) М88А2 Hercules
Contracts for foreign countries, along with tanks, include the M88A2 ARVs: 26 units for Poland, 4 units for Romania, and 6 units for Australia. In addition, the Pentagon will purchase 14 vehicles in November 2023 for $36.4 million. Deliveries must be completed by August 31, 2025.28 A modernized ARV, the M88AZ, has been developed for the US Army and is currently in the testing phase.
Oshkosh Defense
Oshkosh Defense, a part of Oshkosh Corporation, is a world leader in the development, production and maintenance of armored vehicles and trucks. Its four plants with 1,500 employees are located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The South Plant has a test infrastructure: a motor racing track with a dirt track with a total length of 1.5 km and a width of 3.5 m, and a test site measuring 120 x 90 m.
Infantry fighting vehicles ХМ1304 Stryker
The XM1304 Stryker (ICVV Al) vehicle is based on the Stryker DVH Al AFV and is equipped with a Samson remote-controlled combat module from the Israeli company Rafael with a 30-mm Northrop Grumman XM813 automatic cannon. In June 2021, the company signed a contract to produce IFVs for six Stryker brigade combat groups. The estimated cost is $942.9 million over six years. In July 2022, under the overall contract, Oshkosh Defense received orders to equip three combat groups with 269 XM1304s for $356 million.29 The first vehicle entered service in April 2024.
Armored cars (БА) L-ATV
The L-ATV armored vehicle was developed under the JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle) program to partially replace the HMMWV vehicles. By June 2023, 20,000 BA30 were produced, that is, 5,000 vehicles per year (up to 420 units per month). In 2022, L-ATV sales revenues amounted to about $ 1 billion, which is approximately 12% of Oshkosh Corporation’s annual volume ($ 8.3 billion) and half of Oshkosh Defense31. During 2023, the company received six contracts for the delivery of JLTV-type BA by the end of 2025 for a total of $ 553.1 million: $ 364.1 million – for the US Armed Forces (Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps); $ 160 million – for Mongolia, Romania, North Macedonia, Slovenia and Slovakia; $29 million for Israel.
Unmanned launchers for anti-ship missiles ROGUE-Fires
The ROGUE-Fires launcher is based on the L-ATV and is equipped with a remote control system and two Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM) launch containers. In October 2023 and April 2024, Oshkosh Defense received contracts for the delivery of ROGUE-Fires to the US Navy and Marine Corps for $79.5 million, through the end of 2026.
Heavy Duty Transport Vehicles М1300 НЕТ А1 with semi-trailers М1302 МЕТ
Oshkosh Defense will improve heavy equipment transportation systems, upgrade M1070A1 tractors to the M1300 NET A1 version and M1000 semi-trailers to the M1302 MET version for the U.S. Armed Forces. The goal of the program is to increase the mass of transported vehicles from 60 to 90 tons. In September 2022 and November 2023, two contracts were signed for the production of 466 (until 2027) and 557 (2026-2031) M1302 semi-trailers for a total of $ 605.2 million. In December 2023, a five-year contract was signed for the production of 1,384 M1300 tractors for $ 89 million, that is, 280 vehicles per year (24 units per month).
Military trucks FMTV А2 with trailers
In February 2018, the company was awarded a seven-year, fixed-price contract to produce FMTV A2 military trucks with trailers. In 2023-2024, Oshkosh Defense received three contracts worth $450.9 million. In total, as of August 2023, the company’s order book includes almost 2,000 vehicles and 982 trailers worth $858 million.32
AM General
AM General is a designer and primary manufacturer of military and civilian HMMWV vehicles. The company’s Mishawaka, Indiana, facility includes a 1.6 km (1 mi) long, 8 m (26 ft) wide track. The company has a separate test facility with a 3 km (1.9 mi) long track ranging from 3.5 to 7 m (12 to 23 ft) wide track and a 300 x 140 m (100 x 55 ft) test site.
Armored cars JLTV А2
In February 2023, AM General signed a five-year contract for the U.S. Army to produce 20,682 Oshkosh Defense JLTV A2 armored vehicles and 9,883 trailers for them worth $8.6 billion, with an option to extend for another five years, i.e. at least 4,200 AFVs and 2,000 trailers per year (350 and 167 units per month). During the reconstruction of the production facility, carried out from June 2023 to April 2024, its area was doubled – from 6,700 to 13,600 square meters, for which $70 million was allocated; another $59.5 million was provided for the purchase and installation of industrial equipment. Production is scheduled to begin in early 2025.33
Textron Systems
Textron Systems, a Textron Corporation company, designs and manufactures aerospace and defense products. Its Marine and Land Systems division manufactures armored vehicles at its facility in Slidell, Louisiana.
Armored cars MSFV
Developed in 2011 for the Afghan National Army, the MSFV is a stretched version of the M1117, part of the Textron Commando Select family of vehicles. In October 2017, the company was awarded a $332.9 million contract to produce up to 255 MSFVs, with deliveries scheduled through October 2024.34
GM Defense
GM Defense, a part of the transnational automobile company General Motors, specializes in the production of military products. In 2021, GM Defense opened a plant for the production of ISV light armored vehicles in Concord, North Carolina. According to the company’s management, it took only 90 days to deploy production35.
Armored cars ISV
In June 2019, GM Defense received a $1 million contract to develop and build two ISV prototypes. In June 2020, the U.S. military awarded the company a $214.3 million contract to build 649 vehicles. In March 2023, ISV serial production began with a target of 2,593 units.36
American RheinmetaII Vehicles
In order to promote its products on the American market, as well as to participate in competitions for the production of modern vehicles for the US Armed Forces, in August 2022, the German corporation Rheinmetall created a branch of American Rheinmetall Vehicles, headquartered in Detroit. American Rheinmetall Vehicles is developing the KhMZO type armored fighting vehicle based on the Rheinmetall Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle as part of the OMFV program. Textron Systems was selected to manufacture hulls, assemble chassis, produce and test prototypes. The company teamed up with GM Defense to participate in a competition to create modern heavy military trucks for the US Armed Forces under the CTT (Common Tactical Truck) program. In February 2023, the team delivered three prototypes of the NHZ truck. Three more companies are participating in the competition: Oshkosh Defense, Mack Defense and Navistar Defense. The winner will produce up to 40 thousand vehicles worth $ 14 billion. 37
Israel
The main manufacturer of armored vehicles in Israel is a state enterprise that is part of the repair and restoration center (Masha-7000) and is located at the military base in Tel Hashomer. In addition, armored vehicles are manufactured by the private company Plasan. According to experts from the analytical company GlobalData, the armored personnel carrier segment accounts for more than 70% of Israel’s military equipment purchases and this growth will continue. The country’s spending on the ground military equipment market is projected to increase from $230 million in 2023 to $434 million in 2033.38
The repair and restoration center is subordinate to the Department of Technology and Logistics of the Israeli Defense Ministry. The plant produces Merkava-type main battle tanks from domestically produced components and assembles Namer 1500 and Eitan armored personnel carriers using hulls manufactured in the United States. The enterprise has a race track with a 900 m long and 5 m wide track.
Tanks Merkava Mk 4 Barak
Serial production of the latest version of the Merkava tank began in August 2023. The Merkava Mk 4 Barak features a high-tech Iron Vision helmet from Elbit Systems, which feeds information from a network of 360-degree sensors. It also features modern systems: Rafael’s Trophy active protection system and an AI fire control system. The estimated production rate of the Merkava Mk 4 is 30 units per year (five units every two months)39.
Namer 1500 Heavy Armored Personnel Carriers The Namer 1500 heavy tracked armored personnel carrier is a modernized version of the Namer heavy APC, which has been in service since 2008 and is based on the Merkava Mk 4 tank. The key feature of the new version of the vehicle is its 1,500 hp engine. Over the past few years, the Israeli Ministry of Defense has significantly reduced its purchase of Namer APCs, both due to defense budget cuts and the misconception that air power and reconnaissance can replace ground forces in a modern conflict. Initially, 800 Namer APCs were planned to be purchased, but the MoD received approval for only 300 units. In September 2022, a decision was made to additionally purchase over 200 vehicles, bringing the total number to 531 units. Taking into account the rate of production of armored personnel carriers (up to 30 vehicles per year), this figure will not be reached before 2027.40
Armored personnel carriers Eitan
Serial production of the wheeled (8*8) Eitan APCs began in 2022, and the first vehicles were delivered to the Israeli Army in May 2023. They will replace the tracked American M113 APCs. In January 2023, the Israeli Defense Ministry signed a $100 million contract with the American company Oshkosh Defense for the production of Eitan hulls, which will begin to arrive in Israel within 18 months41.
Plasan
Plasan’s main product is armoring kits for armored vehicles, supplied to Israeli, American and Australian companies. In addition, over 20 years, the company has sold more than 1,000 armored vehicles of its own SandCat family to 18 countries.
Armored cars SandCat Tigris
The SandCat armored vehicle is a modified Ford F-55O reinforced with lightweight composite materials. In November 2022, the company received a contract from the Israel Defense Forces to produce 50 SandCat Tigris AFVs for NIS 50 million ($13.5 million)42, with the first batch of vehicles to be delivered in January 2023. In connection with Israel’s Operation Iron Swords in the Gaza Strip, Plasan significantly increased the pace of AFV production, switching to a three-shift work schedule.
Israel Aerospace Industries
In May 2020, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) purchased the rights to manufacture the Z-family of multirole all-terrain vehicles (ZMAG and ZD) from Ido Cohen and adapted them for use by the national armed forces. In April 2021, the Israeli Defense Ministry signed an agreement with IAI to develop and supply nine prototypes of the ZMAG light UAVs for special operations forces. In June 2022, a contract for the production of the ZMAG and ZD UAVs was signed for NIS 100 million ($27 million).43 IAI has decided to build a plant in the south of the country, in which the company will invest more than NIS 100 million ($27 million), and which is scheduled to open in 2027.44
Europe
Today, most European countries that produce armored vehicles are solving two main problems: replacing the aging fleet of armored combat vehicles (BBM) and replenishing the equipment they transferred to Ukraine. However, the capabilities of the European defense industry are limited, so the governments of its states are forced to turn to foreign manufacturers, primarily American ones. The final stage of production is considered to be the final assembly of armored vehicles. In total, 67 enterprises are located in Europe that perform or plan to perform this technological operation under concluded contracts. The largest number of enterprises (nine each, 13% of the total) are located in the UK and Poland. About half (32 enterprises, 48%) of all industrial facilities are located in four countries – the UK, Poland, Germany and France. Enterprises of international corporations (26.39%) are located in 12 countries, three of which are located in Eastern Europe. It should be noted that the plant in Romania opened in April 2021, in Hungary in August 2023, and in Bulgaria the construction of the plant is currently underway.
Main tanks
In Europe, main battle tanks are assembled at only one facility, with five more carrying out upgrades. In addition, a local version of the South Korean K2PL tank is planned for production in Poland. The German company Krauss-Maffei Weg-mann (KMW), now KNDS Deutschland as part of the recently established Franco-German corporation KNDS, is the only active main battle tank manufacturer in the region. The Munich, Germany facility assembles 50 Leopard 245 tanks per year.
According to the contracts concluded, KMW plans to manufacture 44 Leopard 2A7+ tanks for the Hungarian ground forces, 18 and 54 Leopard 2A8 for the German and Norwegian ground forces, respectively, by 2029. Negotiations are underway to purchase 316 Leopard 2A8 tanks: with the Czech Republic (77 units), Italy (133), Lithuania (54) and the Netherlands (52). According to the company’s director, Ralf Ketzel, KMW is capable of increasing Leopard 2 production to 600 units per year using the existing infrastructure, and also launching another production line within one to two years. However, this requires approval from the federal government and a larger number of orders, which the company does not have. In the interests of the national armies, the tanks are being modernized at five enterprises:
On average, the companies upgrade about 60 tanks per year. From 2026, Wojskowe Zaklady Motoryzacyjne in Poznan (Poland) plans to begin manufacturing K2PL tanks under a South Korean license with the capacity to produce up to 60 units per year46. For this purpose, a 17.6 thousand square meter production building is being reconstructed in the southeastern part of the facility. Investments for the work are being allocated from the company’s funds. In total, it is planned to manufacture 500 K2PL tanks and at least several dozen armored vehicles based on them, as well as upgrade 180 K2GF tanks received from South Korea to the K2PL version47.
Tracked armored fighting vehicles
ASCOD
The ASCOD (Austrian Spanish Cooperation Development) family includes the following types of AFVs:
Currently, the Trubia plant produces vehicles based on the Pizarro-type AFV, such as the Castor armored mine-clearing vehicle (for the Spanish Army) and the LT-105 light tank (for the Philippine Army). In 2024, the facility is scheduled to begin producing the VAC tracked AFV and the Dragon wheeled AFV (based on the Piranha V design). $12.2 million has been allocated for these programs, of which $8.5 million is for the purchase of modern equipment. An additional 386 employees are planned to be recruited.48
The British division of General Dynamics encountered serious problems with the development of the Ajax-type AFV. Due to severe vibration at speeds above 32 km/h, high noise in the vehicle, and the inability to reverse over obstacles higher than 20 cm, field tests of the AFV were stopped in November 2020. In March 2023, it was announced that the armored vehicle’s readiness for production was postponed to September 2029.
Borsuk
The main manufacturer of armored vehicles in Poland is Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW, a plant in Stalowa Wola). In order to expand production, HSW purchased a 37-hectare plot of land near the plant in 2022 for future facilities worth PLN 41 million (USD 10 million). Construction work has not yet begun. On October 1, 2023, HSW management bought back the infrastructure sold in 2012 to the Chinese company LiuGong Dressta Machinery, located 500 m northwest of its plant (two production halls with a total area of 43.7 thousand square meters and a warehouse building with an area of 3,500 square meters). HSW also included 550 employees who previously worked for LiuGong Dressta Machinery. On June 8, 2023, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki signed a decision to allocate 600 million zlotys ($147.3 million) in investments to HSW. The company will additionally contribute 64.7 million zlotys ($15.9 million) from its own funds49. A significant portion of this money will go toward organizing the production of Borsuk-type IFVs with a planned volume of 108 units per year. Deliveries of the first vehicles are scheduled for 2024. The price of a Borsuk IFV prototype equipped with a ZSSW-30 remotely controlled combat module was set at 36 million zlotys ($8.8 million) in 202050.
CV90
BAE Systems Hagglunds specializes in the production of CV90 tracked armored fighting vehicles and BvSIO tracked, articulated, all-terrain armored personnel carriers. Its plant in Örnsköldsvik is located in central Sweden. Demand for its products is constantly growing. Today, the order portfolio includes about 400 CV90, 700 BvSIO and 100 Beowulf (an unarmored version of the BvSIO). Since 2021, the company has increased its headcount from 750 to 1,700 people, almost half of whom are engaged in research and development. By 2025, their number is planned to increase to 1,900 people. BAE Systems Hagglunds’ management is constantly investing in the development of production. The allocated funds are primarily used to purchase modern equipment. Two industrial welding robots, three machines were purchased: two milling machines and one for laser cutting. In the near future, it is planned to purchase another similar robot and a third milling machine. Since 2021, two warehouse buildings with a total area of 1,600 square meters and one administrative building have been built on the territory of the enterprise. The plant’s capacity is currently estimated at 50 CV90 and 200 BvSIO per year. From 2025, it is planned to switch the enterprise’s work from a single-shift to a three-shift mode and, as a result, annually produce 200 CV90 and 400 BvSIO – up to three armored vehicles daily51.
BAE Systems Hagglunds has transferred CV90 AFV production technology to three countries:
To manufacture the CV90, a 2,300 m2 production building was built at the Levanger plant between June 2021 and May 2022. The cost of the facility was NOK 55 million (USD 6.6 million)52.
Following the signing of a contract for the purchase of 246 CV90s worth CZK 59.7 billion ($2.7 billion) in May 2023, a team of technical specialists from VOP CZ went to Sweden to master the assembly process. The document provides for the participation of up to 30 local industry companies, which should receive at least 40% of the contract amount – CZK 23.9 billion ($1.1 billion). The delivery of the first armored vehicles to the Czech Army is scheduled for 2026.53
The management of ZTS-Special has allocated 5.9 million euros to organise the production of the CV90 at the plant in Dubnice nad Váhom from 2025. Of this amount, 1.6 million will be spent on the reconstruction of the production hall and the purchase of modern equipment, 4 million on equipping the roof of this building with solar panels, 110 thousand on installing a new heat pump in the hall, 175 thousand on replacing the lighting in the company’s premises. It is planned to create 50 additional jobs54.
Lynx
The Lynx armored fighting vehicle was developed by Rheinmetall Landsysteme and is manufactured at a plant in Unterlüss, Germany. In order to promote its products in Eastern Europe, Rheinmetall established Rheinmetall Hungary. Since 2021, construction of the plant has been underway in western Hungary, and it was opened on August 18, 2023. Its territory includes a production building with an area of 25.2 thousand square meters, and to the north of the facility, a test site with a total length of tracks of more than 3 km has been equipped on an area of 33 hectares. Currently, the plant employs about 100 people, and in the future, it is planned to increase their number to 450 employees. It is planned to produce up to 50 Lynx-type armored fighting vehicles per year. The delivery of the first of 172 armored vehicles of its own production to the Hungarian Ground Forces is scheduled for 2024.55
When deciding to build the plant, the Hungarian government counted on the export potential of the Lynx AFV, but the vehicle was not selected during competitions in the Czech Republic and Slovakia (preference was given to the CV90 type AFV). According to Western experts, the Lynx AFV has weak prospects on the European market. The Hungarian authorities can only hope for the possible export production of the promising KF51 Panther tank by this plant, presented in 2022 by Rheinmetall at the international exhibition Eurosatory. In this case, as they expect, the plant will produce up to 400 tanks annually56.
Рuma
The developers of the Puma infantry fighting vehicle, the German companies Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall Landsysteme, also have significant problems. This is the most expensive IFV in the world (over 17 million euros), due to its large weight, it can only be transported on the A400M military transport aircraft and only in the basic armor version, and also has technical shortcomings. During the exercises in December 2022, all 18 Puma armored vehicles involved failed. Wheeled combat armored vehicles.
Boxer
Assembly lines for Boxer-type armored vehicles are deployed in four countries – Germany (two), Great Britain (two), the Netherlands (one) and Australia (one) – with a total production capacity of up to 250 armored vehicles per year57.
Three corporations are involved in their production: KNDS, Rheinmetall and BAE Systems. KNDS includes Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (a plant in Munich, Germany) and WFEL (Stockport, UK), Rheinmetall – Rheinmetall Landsysteme (Kassel, Germany) and Rheinmetall Defense Nederland (Ede, the Netherlands). In addition, the infrastructure of the joint company Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (Telford, UK) is involved in production. The last two of the five assembly lines were equipped in the UK to implement the UK Boxer program, during which the national ground forces will receive 623 armored vehicles. WFEL invested “millions of pounds sterling” in the new production. Since May 2019, a production (5,700 sq. m) and a warehouse (1,200 sq. m) building have been built at the Stockport plant, and an additional 120 employees have been recruited. The production process of the armored fighting vehicle began in May 2021, and the first armored vehicle was delivered to the customer at the end of September 2022.58
Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land has allocated £40 million ($49.8 million) to establish production of Boxer AFVs at its Telford facility. By March 2023, modern equipment had been purchased, the plant’s test site had been reconstructed, and the number of workers had been doubled. It is planned to manufacture up to 50 AFVs per year59.
Griffon, Jaguar, Serval
At the plant in Rouen of the French company Nexter Systems, now KNDS France, part of the KNDS corporation, armored vehicles are assembled under the Scorpion program: wheeled AFVs of the Griffon type, combat reconnaissance vehicles Jaguar and armored cars Serval. By 2035, the French ground forces should receive 1,872 Griffon, 300 Jaguar and 2,038 Serval units. Since 2018, the company has invested 62 million euros in production and increased the number of employees from 830 to 1,485 people. It is expected to increase the plant’s production capacity from 300 (in 2023) to 450 (in 2025) vehicles per year60.
Pandur
The Austrian company General Dynamics European Land Systems — Steyr has developed and produces the Pandur EVO AFV at its Vienna facility for both the national Armed Forces (designated Pandur A4) and for export (for US special operations forces). In 2015, General Dynamics sold full rights to produce the Pandur II AFV to Excalibur Army (Czech Republic), which now produces them at its Kopřivnice facility to Tatra Defence Vehicle (TDV). Both companies are part of the Czechoslovak Group, whose management announced in July 2023 that it would allocate more than CZK 300 million ($13.8 million) to TDV for the construction of a new production building. The work is scheduled to be completed in 2025, creating up to 60 new jobs61.
Patria
In addition to Finland, where Patria Land is located – the main developer and manufacturer of the Patria type armored vehicles, the production of armored vehicles is organized:
According to Patria Group CEO Esa Rauta-linko, the annual production volume of these armored vehicles at the Hämeenlinna plant is 40 units62.
In Poland, the Patria AMV type AFVs have been produced since 2002 under the name Rosomak, and in September 2022, Patria Group extended the license agreement for their production until 31 December 2028. More than 120 local companies are involved in the supply of components. By switching the plant to a two-shift operation, it is planned to increase the productivity of the plant in Siemianowice Śląskie from 100 to 200 AFVs per year63.
Rosomak is actively involved in the supply of equipment to Ukraine, whose representatives signed a contract in April 2023 for the production of 200 Rosomak-type armored fighting vehicles using funds from the US and EU. In addition, by the end of 2023, the Polish Ministry of Defense planned to sign a contract for the purchase of up to 400 Rosomak APCs with an extended hull (Rosomak-L). In February 2020, Patria Land and Unitruck (Latvia) created a joint company, Defence Partnership Latvia. According to the agreement signed between the governments of Latvia and Finland on August 30, 2021, the Latvian armed forces should receive 200 new Patria 6*6 armored fighting vehicles by 2029. In March 2023, the assembly of armored vehicles began at the Cesis plant based on finished hulls and components received from Finland. One armored fighting vehicle takes about 200 hours or eight days. About ten workers are involved in the process. A separate building is planned for organizing the full-cycle production, which, according to preliminary estimates, will require about 3 million euros64.
In order to implement the contract concluded in August 2022 between Patria Land and the Slovak Ministry of Defense for the delivery of 76 Vydra-type armored fighting vehicles (Patria AMV XP) by 2028, the production hall at the enterprise in Tisovec was reconstructed and modern equipment was purchased, for which Patria Group allocated 2 million euros. CSM Industry also plans to increase the number of workers from 90 to 130 people to produce two armored fighting vehicles per month65.
Piranha V
The developer of the Piranha V AFV is General Dynamics European Land Systems — Mowag. In April 2019, the company transferred part of the production, including the assembly of these armored vehicles, to a plant in Tägerwilen (Switzerland), allocating about 50 million Swiss francs (50.5 million dollars) for the construction of a production building with an area of 6,500 square meters. According to the contract signed in 2020 between the Spanish Ministry of Defense and General Dynamics European Land Systems — Santa Barbara Sistemas, from 2024 the plant in Trubia is planned to begin production of the Dragon AFV (based on the Piranha V design). By 2027, it is planned to deliver 348 armored vehicles in various configurations, with an option to increase their number to 1,000 units. General Dynamics European Land Systems – Mowag signed a joint venture agreement with Romania’s Uzina Mecanica Bucuresti on 15 March 2022. The plant, located in eastern Bucharest, has an estimated production capacity of 100 Piranha V AFVs per year, but plans to produce 133 AFVs for the national ground forces over three years, or approximately 45 units per year66.
In 2022, the Piranha V type AFVs participated in the competitive selections in Bulgaria and Slovakia (the production of armored vehicles for these countries was planned in Romania). The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense chose the Stryker type AFV from General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada, and the Slovak Ministry chose the Patria AMV (Patria Land).
Armored cars
About half of the enterprises (28.42% of the total number) are involved in the production of armored vehicles, of which the majority (17) belong to national companies Bastion, Fortress Mk2, Patsas, Sabre, Sherpa Light. The Arquus plant in Limoges (former Renault Truck Defense) is the main supplier of armored vehicles for the French Armed Forces. Between 2020 and 2023, the company carried out measures to concentrate production at the facility, for which purpose the production of Bastion family armored vehicles was transferred from the Saint-Nazaire plant, two additional production lines were deployed, a warehouse complex with a total area of 9,000 sq. m was equipped, an administrative building with an area of 500 sq. m was built at a total cost of 8.5 million euros, and the number of personnel was increased from 275 to 350 people. The productivity is five armored vehicles per day67.
Caracal
For the assembly of new light armored vehicles Caracal, three production lines are being equipped at the plants:
Rheinmetall is investing more than 10 million euros in the development of the infrastructure of the Kassel plant, including the conversion of a warehouse building into a production building and the purchase of modern equipment. It is planned to hire an additional 100 workers68.
On 10 July 2023, Rheinmetall and the ministries of defence of Germany and the Netherlands signed a framework agreement worth up to €1.9 billion for the delivery of up to 3,058 Caracal armoured vehicles (2,054 and 1,004 units, respectively). In the first stage, a firm contract worth around €870 million was issued for the production of 1,508 vehicles – 1,004 to Germany and 504 to the Netherlands. They are planned to be used in the airborne troops and special operations forces. All armoured vehicles under the contract will be manufactured in the Netherlands – at plants in Ede (1,258 vehicles) and Eindhoven (250 units). Serial deliveries from the beginning of 2025 should be carried out at a rate of around 300 vehicles per year: 200 to Germany and 100 to the Netherlands69.
Gidran
The Gidran armored vehicle is a Hungarian version of the Ejder Yalqin vehicle produced in Turkey by Nurol Makina. Rheinmetall planned to build a plant in Hungary in the Kaposvár area with a capacity of at least 100 armored vehicles per year. Work began in 2021, but was later stopped. As of October 2023, a cleared area measuring 950 x 300 m with markings for buildings was located at the construction site. On October 31, 2023, Nurol Makina signed a cooperation agreement with the Hungarian company Raba Automotive Holding for the production of Gidran armored vehicles at a plant in Győr. As part of this, it is planned to create more than 200 jobs70.
Guardian, Rita
In 2022, International Armored Group Corporation purchased a 15-hectare site in the Burgas region of Bulgaria for BGN 2 million ($1.1 million) to establish a plant for the production of Guardian and Rila armored vehicles. The total investment is estimated at BGN 20 million ($1.1 million), the technological processes are expected to employ more than 300 people, and construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.71
Hoplite
The Greek company EODH (Engineering Office Deisenroth Hellas), which specializes in the production of armor for vehicles, developed the Hoplite armored vehicle at its own expense. According to the company’s management, one of the NATO countries is interested in purchasing 700 vehicles. In February 2021, the Israeli company Plasan acquired a plant in the Thessaloniki region (Greece), which had been closed since 2019, and formed the company ELVO 2020 with the aim of producing armored vehicles. Israeli representatives committed to investing from 95 to 135 million euros in infrastructure development over five years. The plant was reconstructed and modern equipment was purchased, but production has not begun. Today, the company employs less than ten people.
Hron, Wolf
Between 2020 and 2022, the Slovak company DefTech invested 42 million euros in the Vlkanovo plant to organize the production of armored vehicles of its own design, Hron and Wolf. When drawing up plans, it was planned to produce up to 120 vehicles per year, with 42 people involved in the technological processes. After the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, the company’s revenue increased by almost 800% – from 436 thousand (for 2021) to 3.78 million euros (for 2022)72.
Jackal
The Jackal armoured vehicles are of the HMT (High Mobility Transporter) type, developed by Supacat (Dunkeswell, UK). In February 2023, it signed a contract with the UK MoD for the production of 70 Jackal 3 AFVs by April 2024, with an option to increase their quantity to 240 units. Babcock International (Devonport, UK) is involved in the execution of the order, which is to manufacture 62 vehicles. This created 100 additional jobs: 10 at the Dunkeswell plant and 90 in Devonport. The total planned productivity of the plants is one armoured vehicle per day73.
Vector
Between July 2022 and June 2023, a production building (1,000 sq. m) and a warehouse (350 sq. m) were built at the Defenture plant in Tiel, the Netherlands. The plant is equipped with three production lines: one for assembling Groundforce (GRF) armored vehicles, which have received the name Vector in the national armed forces, and two for Scorpion ATVs. 40 new employees have been recruited. The plan is to produce 300 ATVs and 140 ATVs per year74.
Waran
The main manufacturer of buses in Poland, Autosan (plant in Sanok), became part of Huta Stalowa Wola on December 1, 2022, and expanded its range by starting to manufacture Waran armored vehicles under license from the Czech company Tatra. Investments in the amount of 100 million zlotys (25 million dollars) were allocated for the reconstruction of the production hall and the purchase of modern equipment75. The first vehicles rolled off the assembly line in October 2023. In addition, the plant plans to manufacture Ottokar Brzoza self-propelled anti-tank missile systems based on this armored vehicle.
According to the ATBTU program
In early September 2023, the Romanian MoD announced a tender under the ATBTU (Autovehicule tactice blindate de tip usor) program for the purchase of 1,059 4*4 armored vehicles worth 4.6 billion lei (923 million euros)76, which was won in 2024 by Cobra II of the Turkish company Otokar. Production is planned to be organized at the plant in Moreni of the Romanian company Uzina Automecanica Moreni. Since 2020, it has been allocated 8 million euros77 for new CNC equipment. In 2023, the company received 30 million lei (1.7 million dollars) for the reconstruction of production workshops.
Military trucks
Military trucks are manufactured by ten companies (15% of the total number). At the same time, only two international corporations are involved in the production – Iveco Group and Rheinmetall, with two facilities each. Only four plants are located in Eastern Europe – in Poland (two), the Czech Republic (one) and Romania (one, Iveco Group). Investments in the development of production of these products are insignificant. In 2021, new plants were opened in the UK and Romania, and there are plans to expand the capacity of the Polish plant. Since November 2021, Jankel Armouring has launched production of Jankel LTTV (Light Troop Transport Vehicle) trucks at a new plant in Coventry, located in central Great Britain. In August 2022, the plant’s production capacity was 25 vehicles per year78.
Iveco Group allocated 50 million euros for the construction of the plant in Petresti, located 55 km northwest of the capital of Romania, and completed the work in April 2021. The plant’s production area is 9,000 square meters, with three assembly lines located on its territory, and more than 200 people involved in technological processes. The production capacity is up to 440 trucks per year79.
The Polish company Jelcz is the main supplier of military trucks and their chassis to the national armed forces. Its enterprise with a staff of 680 people and a capacity of up to 500 vehicles per year is located in the city of Jelcz-Laskowice. The plan is to build a new plant near the existing one by 2026, modernize the production, and hire up to 200 additional employees so that upon completion of the work the production capacity of the two enterprises will increase to 2,000 trucks per year80.
Military robotic platforms
The production of military robotic platforms in Europe is carried out by seven enterprises (10% of the total). The largest number of them (three) are located in the UK. The majority of companies (five) are part of or associated with international corporations:
In January 2023, Iveco Defense Vehicles of Iveco Group acquired a controlling stake in the robotic platforms division of the automotive design consultancy Horiba Mira (UK) and created IDV Robotics on its basis in September 2023. KNDS Corporation pays special attention to the manufacture of these products. In May 2021, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, a company part of it, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Milrem Robotics, a leading developer and manufacturer of military robotic platforms in Europe, with the acquisition of 24.9% of the shares. In May 2023, the Nexter Robotics division of Nexter Systems (France) entered into a partnership agreement with SERA Ingenierie for the joint development of these platforms for the French army.
Production problems and solutions
The special military operation in Ukraine has revealed the limited capacity of the European defense industry to significantly increase the production of armored vehicles in the conditions of a serious crisis.
The problems of the industry include:
The latest technologies, modern materials, complex electronic components and software are used in the production of armored vehicles. All this affects the duration of the technological process and the cost of the manufactured products. Under normal conditions, the production of a main battle tank takes about three years, an infantry fighting vehicle – about two, a truck – a year. If the Leopard 2A4 tank cost from 3 to 9 million euros depending on the configuration, then the Leopard 2A7 – already about 15 million euros81.
The armor steel is supplied to Germany by the Swedish steel company SSAB, which is unable to provide the required volume of supplies. In search of a way out of the situation, the German authorities issued a permit for steel production to the German company Saarstahl, but due to high energy prices, it had to reduce production volumes and transfer half of its employees to part-time work. According to BAE Systems Hagglunds President Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, it takes about 24 months to deliver a standard CV90 armored vehicle, with another year added if minor changes are made to the design. If the customer wants significant changes to the vehicle’s characteristics to meet its requirements, it will take five to seven years. Components with a long lead time, such as transmissions, torsion bars, and microcircuits, are a bottleneck in the supply chain, and their delivery is expected to take 24 to 36 months. Gustafsson-Rask noted that before increasing its production capacity, the company must clarify the ability of partner companies to increase supply volumes while ensuring sustainability and compatible contract deadlines. Competition between manufacturers, on the one hand, promotes the development of the industry, forcing companies to invest financial resources in the development of new types of armored vehicles (although not many of them find their customers); on the other hand, it leads to a situation where, due to difficulties in ensuring the necessary demand, European companies may be forced out of the market for a long period by American or South Korean manufacturers, since the service life of armored vehicles is from 30 to 40 years. Companies are heavily dependent on long-term government contracts. They fear that three to five years after the launch of new production lines or the construction of factories, demand for armored vehicles will again be low, as was the case before the Russian SVO in Ukraine. The manufacture of armored vehicles is under strict state control. Before starting production, companies must receive government permission to do so. For example, any order from the German Ministry of Defense over 25 million euros requires approval from the country’s parliamentary budget committee.
To solve the existing problems, European countries will need:
Thus, the following characteristic features of armored vehicle production in Europe can be identified:
South Korea
The armored vehicle industry of South Korea is the most developed branch of the country’s defense industry. The production of armored vehicles is carried out by two companies: Hyundai Rotem – main battle tanks and wheeled armored vehicles, Hanwha Aerospace – tracked armored vehicles, self-propelled howitzers and MLRS. The industry’s products are in high demand in the world, as the company offers equipment at a lower price and delivers it two to three times faster82.
Hyundai Rotem
Hyundai Rotem, part of Hyundai Motor Group, produces rolling stock, military equipment and industrial equipment. Hyundai Rotem has overseas branches in Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Greece, Egypt, India, Ireland, Qatar, China, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Oman, the USA, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine and the Philippines. Armored vehicles are manufactured at the plant in Changwon. The facility has a test site with a tankodrome with a track of 1.8 km in length and 8 m in width, and two test sites measuring 100*30 m and 180*70 m.
Main tanks К2
In 2014, the company began producing K2 tanks for the national armed forces. In August 2023, the South Korean government allocated 1.94 trillion won ($1.46 billion) to purchase 150 tanks over five years. By 2028, the total number of K2 tanks in the South Korean armed forces should reach 410 units, while the total need is 600 vehicles83.
The first foreign customer for K2 tanks was Poland. In July 2022, the country signed agreements with South Korea to purchase 980 K2 tanks, 672 K9 155mm self-propelled howitzers, 288 Chunmoo MLRS, and 48 FA-50 aircraft worth $15 billion.84 Ten K2 tanks arrived in Poland in December 2022, 18 units in 2023 and in the first quarter of 2024, 38 vehicles by the end of 2024, and 96 in 2025 (a total of 180 tanks worth $3.4 billion). Starting in 2026, 800 K2 tanks are planned to be produced in Poland.
Armored combat vehicles of the type К806 and К808
The K806 and K8O8 vehicles are 6*6 and 8*8 armored fighting vehicles, respectively. In 2016, the country’s Ministry of Defense signed a contract with Hyundai Rotem for the development and production of 16 prototypes worth 26.9 billion won ($20.4 million). By the end of 2023, 500 K8O8 and 100 K806 vehicles were produced for a total of 820.6 billion won ($705.4 million). The average production rate was 100 vehicles per year, up to nine per month. In June 2022, the company received an order for the development and production of prototypes of the K8O8 CPV command and staff vehicles worth 55.3 billion won ($42 million), and in June 2023, for their production worth 707.3 billion won ($535.8 million). In December 2023, the South Korean Army received the first vehicles, and by 2029 they should have 600 command vehicles at a total cost of 1.5 trillion won ($1.1 billion)85.
Hanwha Aerospace
Hanwha Aerospace is part of the Hanwha Group. In April 2023, Hanwha Defense (which manufactured military equipment), Hanwha Munitions (ammunition), and Hanwha Aerospace merged under the latter. Today, armored vehicles are manufactured by Hanwha Land Systems, a division with a plant in Changwon. After the start of the SBO in Ukraine, Hanwha Aerospace recorded a record high consolidated revenue of 6.54 trillion won ($5.1 billion) in 2022. By 2030, the company aims to increase this figure sixfold, to 40 trillion won ($31.2 billion).86
155-Л1Ж self-propelled howitzers К9 and transport and loading vehicles К10
After 2022, the company tripled the production of 155 mm/52 K9 self-propelled howitzers by opening two additional assembly lines: in 2022, 80 self-propelled howitzers were produced annually (up to seven per month), in 2023 – 160 (up to 14), in April 2024 – 240 units per year (20 per month)87.
As part of the agreement signed with Poland in July 2022 (the total number of self-propelled guns is 672), in August 2022 a contract was signed for the production of 212 K9A1 self-propelled guns for $2.4 billion, until 2026, in December 2023 – 152 self-propelled guns for $2.6 billion, until 2028. In February 2022, the company received a contract for the supply of K9 self-propelled guns, K10 transport and loading vehicles (TZM) and K11 fire control vehicles on the same chassis to the Egyptian Armed Forces for $1.7 billion. Until 2025, the equipment will be manufactured in South Korea, and then in Egypt. In November 2023, Hanwha Aerospace signed a contract to produce four additional K9 self-propelled howitzers and eight K10 TZMs for the Norwegian Armed Forces within two years (in addition to the previously delivered 24 K9 units and six K1088). In April 2024, the Minister of Defense of Vietnam expressed a desire to purchase K9 systems. In June 2024, it became known that Hanwha Aerospace will supply 54 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 36 K10 TZMs to Romania for $920 million.89
Multiple launch rocket systems К239 Chunmoo
Under the agreement signed with Poland in July 2022, the total number of K239 Chunmoo modular multi-caliber MLRS combat vehicles in the Homar-K version delivered to Poland will be 290 units. Accordingly, in November 2022, a contract was signed for 218 K239 units worth $3.55 billion (with deliveries in 2023-2027), and in April 2024, a contract for another 72 units for $1.6 billion (2026-2029).
Infantry fighting vehicles К21
Hanwha Aerospace is participating in the competition to replace the Latvian Armed Forces’ armored vehicles with the K21 infantry fighting vehicle. It is competing against the ASCOD IFV, jointly developed by Austria and Spain, and the Turkish-made Tulpar. The vehicle has a good chance of winning, which would ensure the delivery of about 100 vehicles worth 4 trillion won ($3.1 billion).
Japan
The Japanese military-industrial complex is entirely privately owned. There are no companies in the country that specialize primarily in the production of military products: its share in the turnover of the largest manufacturers does not reach even 20%.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a company within the Mitsubishi Group. The company’s Sagamihara Machinery Works division is responsible for the production of armored vehicles. It owns a plant located on the island of Hokkaido, in Chitose.
Main tanks Туре 10
ТThe Type 10 tank has been in production since 2010. Its advantages include reduced dimensions and weight (44 tons), making it 6 tons lighter than the Type 90 tank. Increased mobility ensures the Type 10 is ready for deployment in various regions of Japan. The 2024 defense budget provides 16.8 billion yen ($112 million) for the acquisition of 10 Type 10 tanks (as of October 2023, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force had 111 Type 10 tanks)90. From 2010 to 2012, the troops received 39 tanks, which averaged 13 units per year. The Ministry of Defense is not currently planning to produce or acquire new types of tanks, howitzers, and multiple launch rocket systems, with the exception of various variants based on the Type 16 wheeled armored fighting vehicle.
Armored combat vehicles Туре 16
Serial production of the Type 16 MCV heavy-armed combat vehicles began in 2016. By the end of 2023, the Japanese Army had 204 vehicles, receiving an average of 30 units per year (five vehicles every two months). In 2023, the company received a contract for the production of 26 Type 16 MCVs worth 13.6 billion yen ($110.9 million), with an order for 250 vehicles expected in the coming years91. In December 2019, the Ministry of Defense signed a contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to develop three versions of the AFV – the Type 16 ICV IFV, the Type 16 MMCV 120mm self-propelled mortar, and the Type 16 RCV combat reconnaissance vehicle. In March 2024, the MoD signed a contract with the company for the delivery of 24 Type 16 ICV and eight Type 16 MMCV units worth $164 million and $54.2 million, respectively (2027-2028).92
Japan Steel Works
Since its founding in 1907, Japan Steel Works (Muroran Plant, Hokkaido) has been a leading manufacturer of artillery systems in Japan. 155-L1L1 Type 19 Self-Propelled Howitzers The Type 19 155mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer is designed to replace Japan’s existing FH70 towed howitzers. The Japanese Defense Ministry will purchase 16 Type 19 155mm self-propelled howitzers in 2024 for 15.1 billion yen ($100.7 million).
Armored personnel carriers Patria AMV ХР
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (with the Type 16 APC) and the Finnish company Patria (with the Patria AMV XP) participated in the competition to supply the Japan Self-Defense Forces with armored vehicles to replace the Type 96 wheeled armored personnel carriers. The reasons for the victory of Patria AMV XP were the insufficient protection of the Type 16 and their high cost. In August 2023, Patria and Japan Steel Works signed a licensing agreement for the production of APCs in Japan, and the Ministry of Defense allocated 13.6 billion yen ($87 million) for the purchase of 26 AMV XP93.
General assessment of production of tanks and armored vehicles in foreign countries:
1. Models of fundamentally new foreign armored vehicles may not appear before the beginning of the 2030s.
2. The largest manufacturer of armored vehicles is the United States.
3. US enterprises have reserves of production capacity. Investments are mainly aimed at installing modern industrial equipment and reconstructing test sites.
4. The main European manufacturer – the German corporation Rheinmetall – is looking for an entry into the American armored vehicle market.
5. The industrial bases of the armored industries of the United States, Israel, South Korea and Japan are characterized by a high degree of concentration and monopolization of production.
6. The United States has high production rates, but South Korea is four times ahead of the United States in the production of 155-mm self-propelled howitzers. The lowest rates of tank production are in Japan.
7. Armored vehicles are manufactured by private companies. The exception is Israel, where its main types are produced by enterprises of the Ministry of Defense. In the US, the government leases production facilities at military bases to the American corporation General Dynamics.
8. The production of armored personnel carriers in Israel depends on the supply of their hulls from the US. This dependence is critical, since the APC segment accounts for more than 70% of the country’s defense budget.
9. The fastest growing armored vehicle market is in South Korea. The industry’s products are in high demand worldwide.
10. There are no companies in Japan that specialize primarily in the production of military products. Its share in the turnover of the largest manufacturers does not reach 20%.
Table 1. Production rates of the main types of armored vehicles in the USA, Israel, South Korea and Japan
| Type of armored vehicles | Production rates | |
| per year | per month | |
| USA | ||
| Main tanks М1А2 SEPvS Abrams | 180-240(to 400) | 15-20 (to 33) |
| ACV type AMPV | 190 | 16 |
| ACV type ACV | 240 | 20 |
| 155-мм self-propelled howitzers М109А7 | 60 | 5 |
| Armored cars L-ATV | 5000 | 420 |
| Izrael | ||
| Main tanks Merkava Barak | 30 | 5 (in two months) |
| Armored personnel carriers Namer 1500 | 30 | 5 (in two months) |
| South Korea | ||
| Main tanks К2 | to 100 | to 9 |
| ACV type 808 | to 100 | to 9 |
| 155-мм self-propelled howitzers К9 | 240 | 20 |
| Japan | ||
| Main tanks tуре 10 | to 13 | 1 |
| ACV tуре 16 | 30 | 5 (in two months) |
Table 2. Armored vehicle final assembly plants in the USA, Israel, South Korea and Japan
| Company | Location | Products / types of work |
| USA | ||
| General Dynamics Land Systems | Lima, pcs. Ohio | Main tanks М1А2 SEPv3 Abrams, corps ББМ типа Stryker и БТР Namer 1500 (for Israel) |
| Anniston, pc. Alabama | Combat vehicles with heavy weapons MIO Booker, ББМ типа Stryker DVH А1, self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and gun systems Stryker M-Shorad, tank bridge layers М1074, mine clearing machines М1150 ABV, military robotic platforms MUTT | |
| BAE Systems | York, pt. Pennsylvania | ББМ типа AMPV и ACV, corps БМП Bradley и 155-мм self-propelled howitzers М109А7 |
| Anniston, pc. Alabama | БМП М2А4 Bradley, fire support vehicles M7AL Bradley, 155-мм self-propelled howitzers М109А7 (primary assembly), field artillery ammunition transport vehicles М992АЗ, БРЭМ М88А2 | |
| Elgin Oklahoma | 155-мм self-propelled howitzers М109А7 (final assembly) | |
| Oshkosh Defense | Oshkosh (Harrison Plant) Wisconsin | БМП ХМ1304 Stryker, armored cars L-ATV, unmanned launchers of anti-ship missiles ROGUE-Fires, heavy equipment transport vehicles М1300 НЕТ А1 with semi-trailers М1302 МЕТ, military trucks FMTV А2 with trailers, bodies БТР Eitan (for Israel) |
| Oshkosh (Harrison Plant) Wisconsin | ||
| Oshkosh (Harrison Plant) Wisconsin | ||
| AM General | South Bend (Mishawaka), Indiana | Armored vehicles type HUMVEE, planned — БА JLTV А2 |
| Textron Systems | Slidell, Louisiana | Armored cars MSFV |
| GM Defense | Concord, North Carolina | Light armored vehicles ISV |
| American Rheinmetall Vehicles | Detroit (Sterling Heights), Michigan | Participation in competitions for the production of new armored vehicles for the US Armed Forces |
| Izrael | ||
| Repair and Restoration Center МО | Tel Hashomer | Merkava Barak main battle tanks, Namer 1500 and Eitan APCs |
| Plasan | Sasa | SandCat Tigris armored vehicles |
| Israel Aerospace Industries | Beersheba | Planned – light armored vehicles ZMAG, Z0 |
| South Korea | ||
| Hyundai Rotem | Changwon | Main battle tanks K2, armored fighting vehicles of the K806 and K808 types |
| Hanujha Aerospace | Changwon | K21 infantry fighting vehicles, K9 155mm self-propelled howitzers, K239 Chunmoo ROZO, K10 transport and loading vehicles, K11 fire control vehicles |
| Japan | ||
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | Chitose | Main battle tanks Type 10, AFV Type 16 |
| Japan Steel Works | Muroran | 155mm self-propelled howitzers Type 19, planned – Patria AMV XP APC |
United States of America
Industrial potential
In January 2023, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (a Washington-based think tank)94 analyzed the state of the American ammunition industry and ammunition stockpiles in the United States. According to its assessment, Ukraine’s needs for GMLRS guided missiles (about 400 per month) are entirely covered by existing capacities (about 5,000 missiles per year) and accumulated stocks (25,000-30,000 units). The production of rounds for barrel artillery in the United States is established at leased (Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated, GOCO) and private (Contractor-Owned, Contractor-Operated, COCO) enterprises. The United States is home to the production of anti-tank weapons and close-in combat weapons (FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile systems — Raytheon and Lockheed Martin corporations; 40-mm AGS Mk 19 — General Dynamics corporation). The United States has enormous capacity to produce small arms ammunition: about 8.6 billion rounds of ammunition per year.
MLRS ammunition and tactical missiles
In the area of short-range missile systems (operational-tactical and tactical), the new American operational-tactical missile system Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) is being mastered in serial production with a maximum firing range, according to various sources, of up to 700-800 km. PrSM missiles can be used from combat vehicles (CM) MLRS M27OA1 MLRS and M142 HIMARS95.
In the area of rocket artillery, the prime contractor Lockheed Martin is increasing the production of the M142 HIMARS MLRS and upgrading the M27OA1 MLRS MLRS to the M270A2, in order to reach the production of 96 M142 HIMARS MLRS per year (up to 480 units in total) within five years (2024-2028 fiscal years). Several subcontractors will ensure the production of up to 100 MLRS of this type per year96. In terms of the fire control system, the upgraded MLRS M27OA2 MLRS will be fully compatible with the M142 HIMARS MLRS. The British (44 units) and Italians (21 units) plan to bring their MLRS M27O type MLRS to this standard97.
In the area of anti-tank weapons, serial production of the Javelin ATGM modification FGM-148F (up to 4000 per year) has been established; the prime contractor for the program is the Javelin of the same name, a joint venture between Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin98.
Ammunition for tube artillery A feature of the American military industry is the overconcentration of production of ammunition for tube artillery. The US Department of Defense has awarded contracts to General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems to build a new, largely automated plant in Mesquite, Texas, and to IMT Defense in Ontario, Canada. In 2023, the US Army awarded contracts worth $1.5 billion to nine companies in the US, Canada, India and Poland to increase production of 155-mm artillery shells. The contracts include the purchase of 6,000 tons of explosives, including TNT and IMX-104 explosives, as well as 270,000 caps, 678,000 fuses and combustible cartridges.” Another $600 million is planned to be spent on tripling the production of IMX-104 explosives (to 6,000 tons) at the Army Ammunition Plant in Holsten, Tennessee. The U.S. Army will also allocate $650 million for the design and construction of a TNT production facility, $14 million will go to the construction and commissioning of a gunpowder production line by Goex in Minden, Louisiana, and $80 million and $21 million of additional funds to complete the expansion of metal parts production for 155 mm shells in Scranton and Hanover, Pennsylvania, respectively.
Israel
Industrial potential
Israel is one of the few countries in the world capable of providing its armed forces with a significant part of the nomenclature of weapons. It has achieved autarky in many types of missile weapons (primarily SAMs and ATGMs), mortar rounds, artillery and small arms ammunition. However, it depends on external supplies of aerial bombs, JDAM guided aerial bombs and SDB small-diameter bombs, guided 155-mm artillery shells, Hellfire missiles and 30-mm ammunition for attack helicopters, 120-mm tank rounds and other nomenclature. The limiting factor is Israel’s limited ability to increase production, due to which, during all Israeli-Palestinian escalations, Israel is forced to turn to external supplies, primarily American, to compensate for the consumption of ammunition.
Missile weapons
Israel is one of the leaders in the development of modern air defense systems, such as the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 missile defense systems, created by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and other Israeli companies in conjunction with American firms, with the leading participation of Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The Israeli company Rafael, together with the American corporation Raytheon and largely with American funds, created the David Sling tactical missile defense system with small-sized Stunner anti-missiles, capable of hitting enemy tactical and operational-tactical missiles at ranges of 40 to 400 km. To combat rockets with a firing range of up to 70 km, Rafael created the Iron Dome mobile system with inexpensive Tamir anti-missiles with a firing range of up to 40 km. For export deliveries, Rafael developed the original mobile SPYDER SAM system, which uses Python 5 air-to-air missiles (up to 20 km) with an infrared seeker and Derby (up to 50 km) with an active radar seeker as SAMs. A family of Israeli multifunctional anti-tank missile systems, Spike, developed by Rafael, has been created and is in service with the armies of 41 countries.
Ammunition for barrel artillery
The main artillery ammunition production capacity in Israel is managed by Elbit Systems, which has a production capacity of 250,000 155mm shells per year.100 In late 2023, Elbit Systems received a $135 million contract to build an artillery ammunition plant for an unnamed international customer.101 Construction will be completed in 2025.
Europe
Промышленный потенциал
In total, there are 145 enterprises producing ammunition, equipment and means of destruction in Europe, of which 95 belong to international corporations and 50 to national companies. Two more enterprises are currently under construction in Hungary and Croatia. Half of the facilities are located in six countries – Germany (21), France (15), Great Britain (14), Italy (12), Romania (I) and Spain (9).
Ammunition for barrel artillery
The most common products are rounds for tube artillery systems, produced in all key European countries. The main manufacturers are the British company BAE Systems, the Czech holding Czechoslovak Group, the Norwegian-Finnish company Nammo, the French group Nexter, the German Rheinmetall and national companies in Bulgaria and Poland. It is rounds for tube artillery systems that are most in demand during the ongoing military operations in Ukraine. In February 2023, the Ukrainian government asked the EU to transfer 250 thousand rounds of ammunition per month, a third of which are 155-mm artillery shells. This is comparable to the annual production of all European enterprises102. By the beginning of the Second World War, the combined capacity of 27 EU countries amounted to 400-700 thousand rounds, according to various estimates. The European Commission has allocated 500 million euros for the development of the ammunition industry, expecting to increase the production of shells from 1.4 to 1.7 million in 2025. The Czechoslovak Group holding owns four facilities involved in the production of rounds for barrel artillery systems. In 2022, they manufactured 100 thousand rounds for 155-mm field artillery guns, and in 2023, 150 thousand.103
Due to military actions in Ukraine, the holding company has loaded its ammunition production capacities to the maximum: if the enterprise in Snina currently produces 19 thousand 155-mm shell bodies, then 15 million euros have been allocated to achieve the figure of up to 100 thousand units per year104.
The Norwegian Ministry of Defence has awarded Nammo a contract worth NOK 2.6 billion (US$244.8 million) to manufacture 155mm artillery shells. In connection with this, the company’s management has approved the provision of funds (NOK 260 million, or about US$24.5 million) for the purchase and installation of additional industrial equipment and the recruitment of personnel, with plans to increase the production of shells to 250,000 per year by 2025.105
The Nexter Ammunition division of the French Nexter group, which includes Nexter Munitions (France), Mesag (Belgium) and Simmel Difesa (Italy), is the third largest European company producing large and medium calibre ammunition106.
In early 2023, the French MoD announced that the country would increase the number of 155mm field artillery rounds supplied to Ukraine to 2,000 per month. In this regard, the Nexter group will increase production capacity by 50% (to 70,000 per year) during 2023, and by 2025 will produce 150,000 shells of this type, which is three times more than before the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine.107 In 2024, Nexter announced that it had received €41 million in investments from the EU to reach a production rate of 400,000 finished rounds per year within three years.108
One of the largest manufacturers of military products in Europe, the German group Rheinmetall, acquired Expal Systems from the Spanish holding MaxamCorp at the end of 2022 for 1.2 billion euros109. As a result, in the context of a dynamic market situation caused by the growth in demand for ammunition, Rheinmetall gained access to Expal Systems’ significant capacities for the production of ammunition110: artillery shells – 250 thousand per year; medium-caliber ammunition – 1 million per year; mortar rounds – 500 thousand per year. During 2022, annual ammunition production volumes were increased (excluding the capabilities of Expal Systems)111: for tanks – from 70 to 140 thousand; for artillery guns – from 70 to 110 thousand; medium caliber – from 1.2 to 2.2 million, as well as up to 240 thousand 120-mm tank shells and up to 500 thousand 155-mm shells per year (in combination with the capacities of Expal Systems and Rheinmetall Hungary)112.
In March 2023, the German Ministry of Defense, on behalf of Ukraine, signed a contract for the production of 300 thousand rounds of ammunition (150 thousand each of armor-piercing subcaliber and high-explosive fragmentation). For this purpose, a new production line for rounds for 35-mm Gepard113 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns was launched at the plant in Unterlüss (Germany, Rheinmetall Waffe Munition).
In December 2022, construction of a Rheinmetall Hungary facility for the production of large and medium-caliber ammunition began in the Várpalota area of Hungary, for which approximately €200 million has been allocated. Production is planned to be organized in several stages: by the third quarter of 2024 — the production of rounds for 30-mm automatic cannons for Lynx infantry fighting vehicles; by the end of 2024 — for 60-, 81-, 120-mm mortars (jointly with Hirtenberger Defence Systems); in 2025 — for 120-mm cannons of Leopard 2 tanks and 155-mm field artillery guns114.
Thus, before the start of the Special military operation, Rheinmetall’s annual capacity was about 70,000 shells, in 2024 – up to 700,000 shells, and in the “medium term” – about 1.1 million per year. In October 2019, the Hungarian government acquired the international company Hirtenberger Defence Systems, which produces rounds for 60-, 81- and 120-mm mortars, for 38.8 million euros. The company owns two plants: in Hirtenberg (Austria) and Middle Wallop (England), and by the end of 2024 will establish production of these products on the territory of a plant under construction in Hungary115.
Bulgarian defense industry enterprises are among the largest manufacturers of Soviet-style weapons not only in Europe but also in the world. In 2022, the sales volume of Bulgarian arms companies increased by 100%116. In January 2023, the Bulgarian company Tsar Samuil EOOD (part of the Terem holding) in the city of Kostenets resumed the production of 122-mm shells for self-propelled (2S1) and towed (D-30) howitzers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which had been discontinued in 1988117.
Poland’s main ammunition producer, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), is a conglomerate of 50 companies operating in all areas of the country’s defense industry. PGZ’s management plans to invest up to 8 billion Polish zlotys ($1.9 billion) in seven companies specializing in ammunition production over the next decade118.
In 2019, the Zaklady Metalowe DEZAMET plant in Nowe Dęba purchased modern machine tools and equipment to increase its capacity to produce large (120 and 155 mm) and medium (60 mm) caliber ammunition by 2026.119
In 2022, the Polish company Mesko was provided with funds to organize the production of 120 mm shells for Abrams and K2 tanks, 155 mm ammunition for Krab and K9 self-propelled guns at the plant in Skarzysko-Kamienna.120
In 2023-2024, the Polish government allocated 2 billion Polish zlotys (475 million dollars) to create production infrastructure and 12 billion zlotys (2.8 billion dollars) to purchase 800 thousand rounds of ammunition.121
At the plant in Plopeni, Romania (Uzina Mecanica Plopeni), where 152- and 155-mm artillery shells were produced until 1990, work is underway to restore production with the involvement of financial resources from Germany122.
Thanks to the investments provided, the Czech national company STV Group has increased the total production volume of large-caliber ammunition to 100 thousand units per year. The company plans to develop the production of rounds for the 155-mm Caesar self-propelled gun and for the 30-mm automatic cannons for the Pandur II and CV90 infantry fighting vehicles. In December 2022, the Ministry of Defense signed a contract with STV Group for a total of CZK 10.17 billion ($406.8 million) for the supply of 65,848 units of 155-mm shells in the period 2025-2029.123
Capabilities for the production of 155-mm artillery shells in Europe. 155-mm artillery shells are manufactured by 13 companies in nine countries, and five more plants are planned to be involved. Thus, 16 companies (18 enterprises) in 12 countries can be involved in the production of this type of ammunition. Within two years, the production capacity of European enterprises can double (from 600 thousand to 1.2 million ammunition per year124). The European plants together will be able to meet the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for 90 thousand 155-mm artillery shells per month (1.1 million per year) only in 2025.
Ammunition for close combat weapons
Ammunition for close combat weapons includes: rounds for 30-, 36-, 40-, 66-, 68-, 72-, 73-, 90-mm automatic grenade launchers; hand grenades; cartridges for 4.6-, 5.45-, 5.56-, 5.7-, 7.62-, 8.6-, 9-, 12.7-, 14.5-mm small arms. The largest number of enterprises producing ammunition for close combat weapons are located in the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Spain. Enterprises in Romania, Croatia and the Czech Republic are being modernized. Croatian company Elmech Sintermak, which produces small arms cartridges, has allocated 150 million Croatian kuna (21 million dollars) to increase production volumes (from 100 to 200 million cartridges per year), 90% of which will be exported.125 The STV Group company (Czech Republic) has allocated 800 million Czech crowns (32 million dollars) for development, including 600 million crowns (24 million dollars) for organizing the production of 5.56 and 9 mm cartridges with the goal of increasing productivity to 500 thousand cartridges per year by the end of 2024. At the facility in Vrbětice (Czech Republic), it is planned to produce 500 thousand grenades (10 thousand per month) in 2023-2027 under license from the German Rheinmetall group.127
Missile weapons
MBDA is a leading European missile systems developer and manufacturer, operating 17 sites in the UK (four), Germany (three), Italy (four) and France (six) with a total workforce of 14,000. The company produces 45 types of missiles, with 15 more in development. MBDA UK is the main supplier of missiles to the UK Armed Forces. In February 2018, a 670-person facility for the production of air-to-air guided missiles (ASRAAM, Brimstone, Meteor) was commissioned128. In 2021, the company won a £550 million ($748 million) MoD contract to complete the development and launch production of the Spear 3 air-to-air cruise missile129.
The largest enterprise in Germany is MBDA Deutschland, where all types of guided missiles are produced. Raytheon Technologies Corporation, together with MBDA, will start producing Patriot GEM-T missiles at COMLOG in 2025-2026 and will issue Bayern-Chemie permission to produce engines for these missiles129.
MBDA Italia is the main supplier of missile weapons for the Italian Armed Forces. The plant in Noceto (Italy), which produces CAMM family guided missiles, is being modernized; the plant in Fusaro (Italy), which produces homing heads and missile components, is being reconstructed. In La Spezia (Italy), where anti-ship missiles without loading explosives are manufactured, an additional territory with a production building of 6,500 sq. m has been purchased131.
In France, missile production is carried out by MBDA France, which owns three sites: in Bourges, Le Plessis-Robinson and Celles-Saint-Denis. 20 million euros have been allocated for their development. MBDA has made significant investments to increase the production of Mistral man-portable air defence systems from 20 to 30 units per month, with the aim of producing up to 40 units per month in the future132.
There are three enterprises of Roxel, the European leader and the third largest in the world in terms of production of rocket engines and solid rocket fuel, located in France. In addition to MBDA, four European industrial groups are involved in the production of missile weapons: Germany’s Diehl, Norway’s Kongsberg, Sweden’s Saab, France’s Thales and national companies from Bulgaria, Spain, Poland and Romania. Diehl Defence, a company specializing in the production of guided missiles, is responsible for the production of ammunition in the Diehl Group (which includes three joint companies: RAM-System, PARSYS and EuroSpike). RAM-System and PARSYS, together with MBDA Deutschland, produce guided missiles: RAM Block 2 for the RAM naval air defense system and PARS 3LR for the air-based anti-tank missile system (ATGM) of Tiger attack helicopters. EuroSpike is a German company that produces Spike LR anti-tank guided missiles for the German ground forces under Israeli license, created by the German groups Diehl, Rheinmetall and the Israeli company Rafael.
The Norwegian Kongsberg Gruppen includes Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, which produces NSM anti-ship missiles and guided missiles for the NASAMS air defense system. The company is preparing to produce JSM air-launched cruise missiles. Due to the increased demand for NSM missiles, the company has been allocated about NOK 3 billion (USD 282.4 million) to build a 7,800 square meter workshop with up to 1,200 workers133.
Saab Dynamics (Sweden) and Saab Bofors Dynamics Schweiz (Switzerland) produce missiles, including GLSDB precision-guided munitions. The Swedish liaison group, in response to the increasing volume of orders amid the SVO, expanded its production capacity and hired an additional 500 employees worldwide134.
Thales Belgium, a Thales company, specializes in the production of FZ missile systems for aircraft and helicopters with 70-mm guided and unguided rockets. Over the past five years, more than 8 million missiles have been produced and delivered to 55 countries, and launch equipment has been installed on more than 300 aircraft134.
Thales Air Defence produces anti-aircraft (STARStreak) and anti-tank (NLAW) guided missiles at its Belfast, Northern Ireland, facility. The UK MoD will issue the following documents in 2021 and 2022: invested more than £320 million ($416 million) in the company135.
In France, Thales LAS France is engaged in the production of ammunition. The plant in La Ferté-Saint-Aubin produces 70-mm rockets for Tiger attack helicopters and rounds for 81- and 120-mm mortars.
In Spain, there are two facilities of the national companies Pap Tecnos Innovacion and Instalaza, which specialize in the production of anti-tank guided missiles. The first company produces Spike ATGMs136. The second produces Alcotan-100 ATGMs, some of which are transferred to Ukraine137.
The Polish government allocated about 100 million Polish zlotys (23.8 million dollars) to Mesko for the production of Piorun MANPADS, including for deliveries to the Ukrainian Armed Forces138. The investments made it possible to increase the number of Piorun systems produced per year to 1,000 units139.
Rocket projectiles
In Europe, only 122mm multiple launch rocket systems are produced: in Bulgaria (two companies), Poland (two), Romania (one), Slovakia (one of the Czechoslovak Group holding) and the Czech Republic (one national and one of the Czechoslovak Group holding). In Bulgaria, the Arsenal company equipped and launched a line for the production of 122mm rockets. STV Group invested 150 million Czech crowns (6 million dollars) for the production of 122mm rockets at the holding’s Czech plant140.
The German Rheinmetall group is negotiating with the American Lockheed Martin corporation regarding the organization of production of 227mm M142 HIMARS MLRS rounds in Germany141.
Explosives and gunpowder
The main European producers of explosives and ammunition propellants are the Chemring Group, the French company Eurenco, the Rheinmetall group and national companies in Poland, Serbia and the Czech Republic.
The Chemring Group’s Chemring Nobel (Sætre, Norway) is the leading producer of HMX in Europe.
Eurenco is a European leader in the production of high explosives and propellants, with plants in France (Bergerac and Sorgues), Belgium (Clermont-sous-Huy) and Sweden (Karlskoga). 60 million euros have been allocated to the Bergerac plant to increase propellant production to 1,200 tons of products per year by the first half of 2025, which will ensure the production of 500,000 propellant charges for 95,000 projectiles142.
In the Rheinmetall Group, Nitrochemie is responsible for the production of propellants. Its enterprise in Hungary will launch a production line for hexogen by 2026.
Zaklady Chemiczne Nitro-Chem (Poland) is a major global producer of explosives and the leader in Polish defense industry exports. It was allocated 300 million Polish zlotys (71.4 million dollars) for the production of nitrocellulose and multi-base propellants143.
Milan Blagojevic (Serbia), with over 1,300 employees, is a world leader in the production of nitrocellulose and gunpowder, about 85% of which is exported144.
The Czech company Explosia, which produces single- and double-base gunpowder, equipped a production line for the production of propellant charges for 155-mm artillery shells in 2022, investing CZK 100 million (USD 4 million)145.
It is planned to invest up to CZK 500 million (USD 20 million) in development by 2026146.
Arsenal in Bulgaria has the capacity to produce explosives and gunpowder.
South Korea
Industrial potential
The Republic of Korea has a powerful and rapidly developing defense industry. The priority vectors for the development of the Korean military-industrial complex are areas of significant synergy with the country’s existing civilian industries. This is primarily shipbuilding, the production of armored vehicles and artillery systems, military vehicles and special equipment. Korea completely covers the needs of its armed forces in this niche.
Ammunition for barrel artillery
South Korea has significant artillery ammunition production capacity, producing about 200,000 155mm shells per year.147 It supplied the United States with 300,000 (according to other sources, 330,000148) 155mm artillery shells, which allowed Washington to send more ammunition to Ukraine than all European countries combined.149
Despite the initial intention of the South Korean MoD to remove all 105-mm howitzers from service by 2020 in connection with the transition to the 155-mm K9 Thunder self-propelled guns, units with 105-mm guns remain in service today. Moreover, South Korea produces about 200 thousand and has about 3.4 million 105-mm artillery shells in storage per year.
Missile weapons
South Korea’s leading manufacturer of missile weapons is LIG Nexl (formerly known as NEX1 Future, LG Innotek, Goldstar Precision) under the LG Group. The range of missile weapons developed and manufactured by LIG Nexl includes:
It is worth noting that LIG Nexl is also a developer and manufacturer of guided aerial bombs.
Ammunition for close combat weapons
The main manufacturer of close combat ammunition in South Korea is the Hanwha Group. The company produces hand grenades and grenade launchers. In addition, the Poongsan Corporation produces Panzerfaust 3 anti-tank grenade launchers under a German license.
Japan
Industrial potential
In Japan, the production of weapons and ammunition is owned by civilian private companies. For example, guided missiles are produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, a large industrial conglomerate with assets primarily in civilian shipbuilding, aerospace, and transport engineering. Unguided munitions are produced by Daikin, a company specializing in the production of air conditioners and ventilation systems. The Japanese and British governments are considering the possibility of exporting 155-mm artillery shells to the UK, which could indirectly help arms deliveries to Ukraine (by freeing up stocks in British warehouses). The Japanese government is considering the possibility of sending artillery shells to the United States, and is also finalizing plans to supply the United States with Japanese-made Patriot missiles. For Tokyo, this would be the first delivery of finished lethal military equipment since the principles of weapons and military equipment transfer were introduced in 2014. According to the current rules, Japan can only export equipment components manufactured under license.151
Ammunition for barrel artillery
Almost all of the capacity for producing 155 mm artillery shells in Japan belongs to Daikin. The company produces shells under license from the British defense industry corporation BAE Systems and is capable of producing about 100,000 155 mm artillery shells per year using its existing capacity. Japanese industrial potential in the area of ammunition production is represented by JR Automation (a subsidiary of the Hitachi concern), which develops and produces automated ammunition loading lines for both artillery and small arms152.
Ammunition for close combat weapons
Together, the enterprises cover the needs of the Japan Self-Defense Forces for the most in-demand small arms ammunition and grenade launcher rounds.
Missile weapons
The main manufacturer of missile weapons in Japan, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Corporation, is the only foreign (outside the United States) manufacturer of the PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles for the Patriot air defense system. In addition, Japanese companies produce a full range of components for this type of missile, which ensures relative independence of production from American companies.
The range of missile weapons produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Corporation also includes:
In addition to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries is a developer and manufacturer of missile weapons. This company has developed and produces small series of Chu-MPM anti-tank missile systems with semi-active laser guidance.
Key findings
1. During the campaign in Ukraine, problems were identified in the military supply system of NATO countries, in particular, in the niche of artillery ammunition – 155-mm shells of NATO standards and Soviet calibers of 122 and 152 mm.
2. The EU Council approved the increase in production under the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP), the goal is to reach 1 million rounds of 155 mm caliber per year.
3. An increase in investments was recorded in the expansion of the production of air defense missiles, anti-radar missiles and ATGM missiles, tactical missiles, guided aircraft bombs, the restoration and increase in the production of MANPADS missiles. At the beginning of the conflict, the stocks of ATGMs and RPGs in NATO countries, including the United States, sharply decreased. Starting from the second half of 2022, the main manufacturers, on the one hand, increased the production of anti-tank weapons, on the other hand, during the first stage of the SVO, a significant number of Russian armored vehicles were withdrawn. The task of destroying tanks was redistributed from infantry to artillery, drones and loitering munitions.
4. The United States is actively investing in expanding the production of artillery ammunition, air defense missiles, tactical missiles and MLRS shells, anti-tank missiles, and restoring the production of MANPADS missiles. Since the beginning of the conflict, the United States has invested $3.4 billion in additional ammunition production, of which $2.5 billion in the production of 155-mm shells, in order to produce 80,000 shells per month by the beginning of 2025. The United States is actively attracting companies that have not previously done this, including Canadian ones, to produce shell components.
5. Israel. After the current escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, supplies of old air defense missiles and other ammunition are possible.
6. South Korea has agreed to lease 155-mm artillery shells to the United States, which will allow more shells to be sent to Ukraine.
7. Japan is bound by current legislative restrictions on the export of ammunition. There are plans to provide Britain with 155mm artillery shells, which will allow London to send more shells to Ukraine.
Below is information on the expansion of NATO countries’ production capacity based on the experience of the conflict in Ukraine:
1. At the beginning of 2023, the United States produced 14 thousand 155-mm artillery shells per month, while Ukraine’s monthly request is 250 thousand rounds. It is stated that due to the commissioning of new production capacities, the production of 155-mm shells in the country will increase sixfold in five years. Currently, the United States needs 12 to 18 months to reach a production level of 70 thousand shells per month, and Ukraine’s requests are met mainly from warehouse stocks, as well as through the Pentagon’s purchase of large batches of artillery ammunition from other producing countries, in particular, Germany, South Korea, Turkey, and Pakistan.
2. In 2022, about 300 thousand 155-mm shells were produced in the EU countries (an average of 25 thousand shells per month). The European Commission has allocated €1 billion from the European Peace Fund to increase production capacity to help reach the target of 1 million shells per year. To this end, 11 countries will begin accelerated production of 155 mm shells, and two more EU countries will begin production of 152 mm shells.
3. In 2024, it was reported that the combined capacity of the 27 EU countries in 2023 was about 700,000 shells. The EU Commissioner for Internal Market and Industry assumed that the EU would reach the target of 1 million shells per year by March or April 2024.153 In March 2024, the European Commission invested an additional €500 million in the industry, expecting to increase production to 1.7 million shells per year.154.
4. Rheinmetall, the main ammunition manufacturer in Germany, announced plans to increase the production of 155-mm shells from 60-70 thousand to 450-500 thousand per year within two years. To this end, the company acquired a plant in Spain and is building a new plant in Hungary. Other large European manufacturers of artillery ammunition – BAE Systems, Nammo, Nexter – are capable of increasing production from 20 thousand to 30 thousand 155-mm shells per year. The Slovak holding ZVS is ready to produce 100 thousand shells per year.
5. In 2024, the German concern Rheinmetall will expand the existing production of 155-mm ammunition from 1.2 to 8.5 billion euros. The recipient countries (in addition to Germany) from 2025 will be Ukraine, the Netherlands, Estonia and Denmark. For Rheinmetall, this is the largest order in the company’s history155.
6. Rheinmetall will build a plant in Lithuania to produce 155 mm artillery shells, which will be operational by the end of 2025.156
7. Since February 2024, Rheinmetall has been working on doubling or even tripling the powder capacity needed to produce artillery shell charges – up to 700,000 artillery shells per year by 2025. A new Rheinmetall plant with an annual production capacity of 200,000 artillery shells and 1,900 tons of explosives is being built in Unterlüss, Lower Saxony157. Investments in the plant amount to 300 million euros; 500 new jobs will be created.
8. In March 2024, Rheinmetall announced plans to open at least four factories in Ukraine. They will produce shells, military equipment, gunpowder, and anti-aircraft automatic guns with sales volumes of 2 to 3 billion euros per year. “The foundation stone for the plant will be laid soon, and it will be built on the model of the ammunition plant that Rheinmetall is building in Germany.”158
9. In June 2024, Rheinmetall specified the investment volumes for the construction of the plants: the facility in Germany – more than 300 million euros with a production capacity of 200,000 artillery rounds per year, the plant in Lithuania – 180 million euros, and the gunpowder plant in Romania – 400 million euros. The concern’s most ambitious initiative is a plant for the production of 155-mm ammunition in Ukraine, where Rheinmetall intends to manufacture a “six-digit” number of shells per year. However, the facility will probably be put into operation after the completion of the SVO.
10. Rheinmetall plans to increase the production of tank ammunition from 70 to 140 thousand per year.
11. Rheinmetall will receive a €130 million subsidy under the Ammunition Production Support Act (ASAP)159.
12. In 2025, Eurenco, a leading European supplier of gunpowder and explosives, will open a plant in Bergerac (Dordogne, southwest France) and produce 1,200 tons of gunpowder per year160.
13. In March 2024, the EU allocated €560 million to arms companies (Rheinmetall, Nexter, Nammo and Eurenco) to increase ammunition production for Ukraine. The bulk of the funding will go to explosives and gunpowder manufacturers — €124 million and €248 million, respectively. The funding is aimed at increasing production of shells to 2 million per year by the end of 2025.161
14. According to CSIS, by April 2022, the United States had transferred almost a third of its Javelin missiles to Ukraine – 7,000 units (before the conflict, the Pentagon purchased Javelins on average 1,000 units per year), while in the early days of the war in Ukraine, up to 500 missiles were used per day. By February 2024, Lockheed’s production capacity was expanded to 2,400 missiles per year. The company is working with the US Army to increase production capacity to 3,960 Javelins per year by the end of 2026.162
15. Since the beginning of the conflict, the United States has invested $3.4 billion in expanding ammunition production, including $2.5 billion in the production of 155-mm shells, in order to reach the production of 80 thousand shells per month by the beginning of 2025. The United States is bringing in companies that have not previously done this (Canadian) to produce shell components, with plans to replace imported TNT with IMX163.
16. In 2023, the American defense company Northrop Grumman commissioned a new missile production plant in Allegany, West Virginia. The plant produces up to 300 Anti-Radar Guided Missiles (AARGM-ER), with the possibility of expanding production to 600 per year. The AARGM-ER is an upgrade of the existing AARGM and will be installed on the US Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft, as well as the US Air Force F-35A, Marine Corps F-35B, and Navy and Marine Corps F-35C aircraft. The possibility of further increasing production to meet future needs of the US Department of Defense and foreign customers is under discussion164.
17. In May 2024, the American missile manufacturer Raytheon announced the expansion of its missile integration center in Redstone, Alabama. The investment will amount to $115 million.165
18. In June 2024, the American defense company Northrop Grumman announced that it plans to produce tank ammunition, 155 mm shells, and others in Ukraine as part of a joint project.166
19. The Swedish military-industrial complex (Saab Group) plans to increase the production of NLAW anti-tank guided missiles to 400 thousand units per year and Strf 90 infantry fighting vehicles to one per day. The Swedish Saab Group has begun hiring up to 1,000 new employees.
20. In May 2024, the US Department of Defense signed a $756 million contract with Lockheed Martin to supply a battery of the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile system (LRHW)167.
21. In June 2024, Norwegian defense manufacturer Kongsberg opened a new missile factory to produce Naval Strike Missile (NSM) anti-ship missiles168.
22. In February 2024, it became known that Dynamit Nobel Defense (DND – a German arms manufacturer, a subsidiary of the Israeli state arms concern Rafael) and the Ukrainian state company JSC “Ukrainian Defense Industry” are studying the possibility of producing Panzerfaust 3 anti-tank grenade launchers in Ukraine169.
23. The Finnish government will invest more than $ 130 million over the next 3-4 years to double the production of “heavy” artillery and mortar ammunition, that is, 155 mm artillery shells, as well as 81 mm and 120 mm mortar rounds. The production will be located at the Nammo Lapua Oy facilities by 2026-2027.170
24. In January 2024, the Finnish Ministry of Defense announced a test run of the mobilization industrial reserves. They were developed back in the days of the USSR – these are pre-established production lines for the production of defense products and stocks of components for production.171
25. In early 2024, the Swedish Defense Technology Agency signed a contract with the Nordic Ammunition Company (Nammo) for the production and supply of 155 mm artillery ammunition for Ukraine in the amount of 12.4 million euros.172 In March 2024, the European Commission provided Nammo with 12.2 million euros. Thanks to European production support and Swedish co-financing of the project, Nammo will be able to triple the production of 155 mm rounds, which are in demand in Ukraine.173
26. In March 2024, the Swedish Saab Group announced that it would open an ammunition plant in the United States — a joint project between Saab and the American company Boeing to develop and manufacture missile weapons systems for the US Armed Forces, such as components for the GLSDB ground-launched small-diameter bomb174.
27. In January 2024, the Bulgarian MoD reported that the country’s military-industrial complex was operating 24/7 and that most of its military products were being shipped to Ukraine “through third parties.” It was planned to launch production lines for 105 mm and 155 mm NATO-standard ammunition, in addition to the Soviet-style ammunition already produced at Bulgarian factories175.
28. In June 2024, it became known that factories in Serbia were working in three shifts to supply ammunition to Ukraine176.
In April 2023, the EU Foreign Affairs Council set out areas of work to increase the production of military products in EU countries:
1. Increasing the production of Soviet-calibre ammunition (152mm artillery shells, 122mm rockets), restoring and modernising their production capacities in Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Romania. Ukraine’s own reserves are largely exhausted.
2. Developing cooperation with European countries that are not members of the EU but retain a developed defence industry, including Norwegian, British, Swiss and Serbian companies, as they have preserved their ammunition industry better than the “old” EU members by protecting their industries.
3. Stimulating standardisation to ensure interoperability.
4. Accelerating the process of issuing export licences, especially for components used by other countries for military production.
5. Exploring options for implementing new high-tech solutions offered by 3D printing by the defence research and innovation agencies of Member States, with the support of the EU and NATO, and funding research into all forms of innovative production.
The US notes that the main obstacles to a significant increase in arms production volumes are the large amount of weapons in storage and the “absence of a clear market signal”. It is difficult for companies to attract investment in conditions of uncertainty; some management and analysts believe that the Ukrainian conflict may end before production capacities are expanded and investments in their expansion will be wasted. Therefore, leading US military-industrial complex companies, as well as civilian companies that may enter the market, are waiting for a clear signal from the White House and the Pentagon about a long-term increase in purchase volumes.
Artillery systems
Rocket artillery
The leading manufacturers of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) are:
The most mass-produced model is the American M142 HIMARS MLRS. After the start of the SVO by the end of 2024, the production rate was increased to 96 vehicles per year (eight per month). Lockheed Martin Corporation invested $ 65 million in doubling the production rate. Contracts have been signed for the export of 105 M142 HIMARS MLRS. Poland also contracted 486 launch modules for their subsequent installation on a chassis of national production by the national defense industry with technical assistance from the Americans (Homar-A program); delivery is scheduled for 2026-2030.
The second most mass-produced model is the South Korean K239 Chunmoo MLRS. After the start of the SVO, production is carried out in the interests of foreign customers. Poland has contracted 290 launch modules for their subsequent installation on a chassis of national production by the national defense industry with technical assistance from the Koreans (Homar-K program); delivery is scheduled for 2027. The production rate of the K239 Chunmoo MLRS is estimated at 30 sets per year.
Before the start of the Second World War, the Czech Republic delivered 26 RM-70 Vampire 4D MLRS combat vehicles to foreign customers; after the start of the Second World War, 20 RM-70 units were sent to Ukraine.
Israel serially produces PULS MLRS, which are purchased by Morocco (2023), Denmark (2023-2025), the Netherlands (2024-2026), and Spain (since 2027). Germany may purchase 89 combat vehicles under the EuroPULS program.
Before the start of the Second Military Operation, more than 50 TRG-300 Tiger/Kasirga MLRS combat vehicles were delivered to the Turkish army; another 23 products were shipped to foreign customers; no new contracts have been concluded in recent years.
Barrel artillery
Currently, the leading manufacturers of artillery systems (self-propelled and towed howitzers – SG and BG) of the main (155 mm) caliber are:
The most widely produced model is the American 155-mm SG M109 in its latest version M109A7.
In early 2024, the US Department of Defense invested $50 million in BAE Systems to resume serial production of the 155-mm BG M777 and $463 million for their maintenance.
The second most widely produced model is the South Korean 155-mm SG K9 Thunder and its Turkish licensed clone 155-mm SG T-155 Firtina. To date, more than 1,700 units have been manufactured.
The recipients of the German 155-mm SG PzH 2000 were Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, Qatar, Hungary, Ukraine (22 vehicles). In 2024, Germany transferred another 18 vehicles to Ukraine as military-technical assistance. An order for 54 vehicles for Germany and Ukraine is expected.
Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has signed a contract with Ukraine as the launch customer for the delivery of 54 of the latest 155 mm RCH 155 SG on the Boxer 8×8 armored personnel carrier chassis. The total volume of the potential German-British order is estimated at 400 vehicles. Deliveries to customers are scheduled to begin at the end of the current decade.
The largest-series model of all wheeled artillery mounts is the French 155 mm CAESAR SG: 607 vehicles have been produced to date, including 391 for foreign customers.
Four types of chassis are used as the base: for the CAESAR 6X6 Mk I product — Sherpa 5 from Arquus or Unimog U2450, a joint production of SOFRAME and Mercedes-Benz; for the CAESAR 8X8 product — T815-7 Force from Tatra Trucks; for the CAESAR 6×6 Mk II — Armis product by Arquus.
Foreign customers of the CAESAR 6X6 Mk I product are: Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Estonia, Ukraine — 72 (including 6 ordered directly by Ukraine, 12 by France, the rest by 22 countries of the so-called artillery coalition led by France; delivery in 2024-2025) and Armenia (delivery in 2025).
Foreign customers of the CAESAR 8X8 product are: the Czech Republic and Denmark (the latter transferred 19 SG to Ukraine in 2023 through military-technical assistance). Foreign customers of the CAESAR 6X6 Mk II product are: Belgium and Lithuania (deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027).
The Israeli 155-mm SG ATMOS 2000 is produced in small batches exclusively for foreign customers. The Polish 155-mm SG AHS Krab is a hybrid of the chassis from the South Korean 155-mm SG K9 Thunder and the artillery unit of the British 155-mm SG AS90M Braveheart. Ukraine placed an order for the production and received 54 vehicles of this type. In connection with the placement of additional orders, the management of the Huta Stalowa Wola company set the task of reaching production of 110 vehicles per year.
The Slovak 155-mm SG Zuzana was transferred to Ukraine in 2 batches of 8 and 12 vehicles under military-technical assistance (financing of production at the expense of Denmark, Germany and Norway).
Today, the leading developer and serial manufacturer of air defense and missile defense systems in the West is the United States. Leaving aside strategic missile defense systems, the following main programs in the air defense and tactical missile defense segment can be identified, as well as enterprises and their production volumes.
United States of America
THAAD
The THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) tactical missile defense system was developed under the leadership of Lockheed Martin with the participation of Raytheon (now RTX). The relatively low production volumes of THAAD systems (maximum one battery per year) are limited not by production capabilities, but by budgetary and military-political factors. Each THAAD battery includes six launchers on a vehicle chassis, one or two TFCC command posts and one AN/TPY-2 radar manufactured by RTX (Raytheon). The HIMARS (and previously MLRS) missile system combat vehicles, GMLRS missiles and Patriot PAC-3 anti-aircraft guided missiles, TFCC command post electronic systems and THAAD missiles are also mass-produced here. Direct production of THAAD missiles is carried out at one of the leading enterprises of the Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control division, where Javelin anti-tank missiles and JASSM series air-launched cruise missiles are also manufactured. The production rate of THAAD interceptors is low, at a level of up to 100 units per year. In December 2023, the production of the 800th THAAD interceptor was announced. In April 2023, Lockheed Martin received another contract for the production of Lot 15 interceptors worth $180.3 million.
Patriot
Patriot is the primary medium- and long-range air defense and tactical missile defense system of the United States Army and was developed by Raytheon (now RTX). To date, the Patriot SAM is in service with 17 countries (although Israel announced its decommissioning in 2024), and has been ordered by two more countries (Switzerland and Morocco, with new orders from Germany and Poland), and in 2023, applications for its purchase were received from six more potential customers.
A Patriot battery includes from four to eight (the standard in the US Army is eight) launchers, towed or self-propelled, as in the German version, a command post and a multi-functional radar. Serial production of the PAC-3 MSE anti-aircraft missiles is carried out by the Lockheed Martin Camden Operations complex in Camden. Government funding has allowed production to increase to more than 650 PAC-3 MSE missiles per year by 2025. The US Army leadership believes that increasing production beyond this value is not feasible.
RTX (Raytheon) continues to produce older long-range PAC-2 GEM-T missiles. Their production should be increased from 20 to 35 per month (420 per year) by 2027. RTX estimates the existing order portfolio for PAC-2 GEM-T missiles at 1,500 units with the possibility of increasing by another 1,000.
Missiles for the Patriot air defense system are also produced outside the United States. In Japan, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Corporation carries out licensed production of all Patriot components (up to 100 PAC-3 units per year). The Japanese government will transfer the PAC-2 GEM-T and PAC-3 produced in Japan to the United States to replenish Ukrainian stockpiles. In total, more than 10,000 Patriot air defense missiles of all modifications without the PAC-3 MSE have been manufactured in the United States to date. In June 2024, the US Army issued a $4.5 billion contract for the purchase of 870 PAC-3 MSE missiles, including the development of an upgraded version.
Iron Dome / Sky Hunter
The Israeli Iron Dome tactical missile defense system is a product of the Israeli companies Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and the American corporation Raytheon (RTX). Funding for the work amounted to $ 1.6 billion from 2011 to 2021, and in 2022 the US Congress allocated another $ 1 billion. To date, up to 8,000 Tamir anti-missiles have been manufactured for the Israeli Ministry of Defense, and their production volumes at Rafael (jointly with RTX) can reach 1,000 units per year. The Iron Dome battery includes up to six 20-charge towed launchers, a control center, and a multifunctional IAI Elta EL / M-2084 radar. In early 2024, RTX and Rafael began construction of a new facility in the United States to produce Tamir and SkyHunter interceptors, for which they have jointly allocated $65 million. The facility will be operational in late 2025 and will initially have a capacity of 1,000 interceptors per year, quickly increasing to 2,000 per year.
NASAMS
The US Air Force purchased two NASAMS medium-range air defense batteries to provide air defense for Washington after the events of September 11, 2001, and transferred them to Ukraine in 2022. At least 12 new-generation NASAMS air defense systems have been contracted for Ukraine to date. NASAMS is not used by the US Armed Forces, but is actively purchased by third countries – today there are 13 customers, not counting Norway. A special feature of NASAMS is the use of standard medium-range air-to-air missiles with active radar homing, manufactured by Raytheon (RTX), as anti-aircraft missiles. Later, the air defense system was supplemented with short-range air-to-air missiles with an infrared guidance system, also manufactured by Raytheon (RTX). The third type of extended-range missile, already specially created by Raytheon for use in NASAMS, was AMRAAM-ER, which is a combination of the RIM-162 ESSM naval surface-to-air missile with the active radar homing head of the AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM missile. The AIM-9X Sidewinder and AMRAAM-ER missiles are used in the most modern modification of the system, designated NASAMS 3. AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles are manufactured at Raytheon Tucson Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona. This is the largest missile plant of Raytheon (RTX), which also carries out serial production of Patriot PAC-2 and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, TOW ATGMs, SDB II guided bombs and a number of other models. In 2020, Raytheon announced its intention to invest $400 million over 10 years in the Tucson facility. In 2023, production increased to 1,200 missiles, primarily due to increased production for use of these missiles in the NASAMS air defense system. The US Air Force has increased AMRAAM procurement in the coming years: 457 missiles in FY2024, 462 missiles in the FY2025 budget, and 664 missiles in FY2026, which will lead to a total increase in AMRAAM production to 2,000 or more missiles per year. The AIM-9X Sidewinder missile is mass-produced for the US military and for export as the main Western close-in air combat missile. Its use in the NASAMS air defense system is rapidly expanding. Annual production of AIM-9X-2 Block II missiles reaches 1,400-1,500 units in 2022-2023, with new orders coming in constantly. In September 2023, RTX received a $74.8 million US DoD contract to expand production capabilities for AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles to 2,500 units per year by 2026. AMRAAM-ER missiles are produced at the same RTX facility in Camden that produces ESSM naval missiles. AMRAAM-ER missiles entered serial production in 2022, and there is already evidence of their use in Ukraine. AMRAAM-ER is currently under contract to a number of NASAMS air defense system customers (Qatar, Hungary, the Netherlands). The rate of possible serial production of AMRAAM-ER is unclear, but it is estimated that at the initial stage it will be at least 200 missiles per year. The production of NASAMS launchers and command posts by Kongsberg Group in Norway is currently a bottleneck in the production of the system, and by 2024, due to the large volume of orders, the queue for delivery of these elements has stretched out to three years.
Standard
The Standard family of long-range ship-based anti-aircraft guided missiles and interceptors (SM-2, SM-3, SM-6) manufactured by Raytheon (RTX) are widely used by the US Navy and its allies, and have recently found increasing ground application both in stationary missile defense systems (SM-3 in the AEGIS Ashore ground-based systems) and as a surface-to-surface quasi-ballistic missile (SM-6 in the new US Army Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Typhon ground-based mobile missile system and its US Navy counterpart). It can be assumed that the ground application of the Standard SM-3 and SM-6 missiles will continue to expand due to their high performance. At the same time, the Standard series missiles are distinguished by their high cost and relatively low production volumes. SM-2 missiles are manufactured only for export and their output depends on irregular orders, reaching up to 100 units per year. In April 2024, RTX announced a $115 million program to increase the capacity of its Huntsville facility by 50% by the end of 2025. The Navy’s FY2024 budget includes $200 million to increase RTX’s annual SM-6 missile production capacity to 200 in 2026 and 300 in 2028. The main challenge to expanding Standard missile production is reportedly increasing the supply of solid rocket motors.
Stinger
The Stinger missile remains the primary short-range weapon of the American military air defense, used not only in a portable version, but also as part of self-propelled air defense systems. Serial production of Stinger missiles is carried out at the Raytheon Tucson Missile Systems plant in Tucson, Arizona. It ceased in December 2020 (deliveries to the US Army have not been carried out since 2004) after producing more than 90 thousand missiles over 40 years, but was resumed in 2021 for an unspecified foreign customer. In May 2022, the US Army signed a $ 624.6 million contract with RTX for the supply of 1,300 Stinger missiles to replenish its stockpiles after the transfer of a large number of them to Ukraine, then increased it to 1,700 missiles with delivery by 2026. The missiles are supplied in a modified FIM-92K version. In January 2024, the US government approved a request from Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands to purchase 940 new Stinger missiles. In September 2023, the US Army awarded contracts to RTX and Lockheed Martin for the competitive development of a new man-portable and vehicle-mounted air defense system to replace the Stinger, using the same missile form factor. Serial production is planned to begin in 2028.
Europe
In Europe, the centers for the development and production of air defense systems are the European missile association MBDA (which is actually implementing several multinational and national programs), the Thales group, as well as the German company Diehl Defence, the Swedish group Saab and the above-mentioned Norwegian group Kongsberg.
SAMP/T
Within the framework of the Eurosam consortium, the MBDA association, together with the Thales group, created a family of modern highly effective ship-based and land-based air defense missile systems based on the Aster series of air defense missiles in the Aster 15 short-range and Aster 30 medium- and long-range modifications (and its modified versions Aster 30 Block 1 and Aster ЗО Block 1NT). The leading specialized enterprises of France, Italy and Great Britain are involved in the program. The serial land-based mobile air defense system of medium and long range using Aster 30 missiles is SAMP/T (Sol-Air Moyenne-Portee/Terrestre), developed for the interests of the armed forces of France (received 11 systems, designated Mamba) and Italy (six systems), after which it was exported to Singapore (three systems). In 2023, one system was jointly transferred by France and Italy from stock to Ukraine, and it is expected that Italy will transfer another one. The SAMP/T SAM system comprises four or six self-propelled launchers on a vehicle chassis, a command post, an information processing post and a Thales Arabel multi-functional radar. A modified version of the SAMP/TNG (Mamba NG) SAM system is currently undergoing testing, using upgraded Aster 30 Block 1NT long-range anti-aircraft missiles. The system includes a new multi-functional radar (Thales Ground Fire 300 in the French version and Leonardo Kronos GM HP in the Italian version), a new command post and up to six launchers. The French Air Force plans to acquire them between 2025 and 2035. 12 SAMP/TNG SAM systems worth up to €5 billion in total, the Italian Air Force five or six systems, and the Italian Army four systems, with the contract being awarded first in January 2024. Within the Eurosam consortium, the French side was responsible for the development and manufacture of radars, command posts and information processing posts, while the Italian side was responsible for the manufacture of launchers (the Italians also created radars for themselves in SAMP/TNG). The Aster missiles have been manufactured since 2006 by the French division of MBDA (MBDA France) at a plant in Celles-Saint-Denis, with a number of components supplied from Italy. In January 2024, France and Italy placed an order for the delivery of another 700 Aster missiles of various modifications for their land-based and naval SAM systems worth €2 billion. In March 2024, MBDA management announced its intention to increase Aster missile production by 1.5 times due to shorter order lead times, reducing this figure to 18 months by 2026.
VL MICA
A modern short-range air defense system developed by the French division of MBDA is the VL MICA, which uses vertically launched anti-aircraft missiles based on the French MICA air-to-air guided missiles in a version with active radar homing. The system is offered in land-based mobile (with Thales GM200 radar) and naval versions. The naval version has been adopted by the navies of at least 12 countries (up to 1,200 anti-aircraft missiles have been delivered and ordered). A new version of the system is the VL MICA NG, which uses a modified missile. Its deliveries in the naval version began in 2023.
САММ
The British division of MBDA (MBDA UK) created the short- and medium-range anti-aircraft missile system CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile), called Sky Sabre (Land Ceptor, FLAADS, EMADS) in the land-based mobile version and Sea Ceptor in the naval version. The CAMM anti-aircraft missile was developed on the basis of the MBDA AIM-132 ASRAAM short-range air-to-air missile, equipped with an active radar homing head in combination with dual-channel radio correction. Under a contract with the Italian MoD, the British and Italian divisions of MBDA, together with the Italian company Avio (supplier of engines), developed a longer-range version of the medium-range CAMM-ER anti-aircraft missile. In May 2024, the Italian Air Force and Army signed contracts for the purchase of land-based versions of the SAM with CAMM-ER missiles, designated MAADS and Grifo, which will use the Rheinmetall Italia X-TAR3D radar. The naval version of the SAM with CAMM-ER missiles, called Albatros-NG, was ordered by the Italian and Pakistani navies. Poland became the largest customer of the land-based SAM with CAMM missiles. In 2021-2023, it contracted with MBDA UK for a total of 24 batteries (48 systems of this type – a total of 144 iLauncher launchers and 48 radars) under the Narew program, as well as another 44 iLauncher launchers for integration into the 22 batteries of Polish Pilica+ combined anti-aircraft missile and gun systems being purchased. One Narew battery (delivered in 2022) and the Pilica+ batteries are to use CAMM missile launchers, while 23 Narew batteries are to use CAMM-ER missiles, which are to be delivered between 2027 and 2035. Accordingly, Poland has ordered 850 CAMM and over 1,000 CAMM-ER missiles. It is planned to jointly produce the iLauncher launchers and CAMM-ER missiles in Poland. In 2023, MBDA UK and the Polish defence industry association PGZ also signed an agreement to jointly develop a version of the CAMM-MR long-range air defence missile by 2030. The British Sky Sabre SAM system (battery) includes six eight-container self-propelled vertical launchers iLauncher, the Giraffe Agile AMD detection radar from the Swedish Saab group and the Surface-to-Air Missile Operations Center (SAMOC) combat control point developed by the Israeli company Rafael. In the Polish version, the system has three launchers and a Polish Sola-M or Sajina radar. Serial production of CAMM missiles is carried out by MBDA UK in Bolton, mainly for naval systems. The production volume of CAMM missiles is estimated at no less than 250 units per year. In the spring of 2024, it is planned to double the production of missiles by 2026, and organize the production of CAMM-ER missiles there.
IRIS-T
The German company Diehl Defence (part of the Diehl Group) has created a short- and medium-range anti-aircraft missile system based on its IRIS-T air-to-air missile with an IR homing system. Small batches of systems with IRIS-T-SLS short-range vertical launch anti-aircraft guided missiles, which are a complete analogue of the IRIS-T air missile, were delivered to Sweden and Norway since 2018, but in 2022-2023 these countries transferred them to Ukraine. As a further development, Diehl Defense, with funding from the German Ministry of Defense, developed the IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defense system, which uses a specially designed anti-aircraft guided missile equipped with an infrared homing head from the same IRIS-T air missile. The IRIS-T SLM missile system uses additional radio command guidance (in combination with inertial-satellite correction) in the main trajectory section with target acquisition by the infrared homing head in the terminal section. The system consists of a TOC (Tactical Operations Centre) command post, a mobile Saab Giraffe 4A or Hensoldt TRML-4D target acquisition and designation radar and three mobile vertical launchers with eight missiles each on a vehicle chassis. In 2022, the German government decided to supply Ukraine with four IRIS-T SLM air defense systems of the new Diehl Defense production at the expense of German government funding, while the first systems for Ukraine were taken from those manufactured for Egypt. This made it possible to transfer five IRIS-T SLM systems to Ukraine from October 2022 to May 2024. In total, Germany intends to supply Ukraine with 13 IRIS-T SLM systems, as well as 11 short-range IRIS-T SLS systems – the latter will use, among other things, missiles transferred by Sweden and Norway. In 2022, the German government also signed a contract for the supply of six medium-range IRIS-T SLM systems to the Bundeswehr from 2025 to 2027. These systems were ordered by Latvia, Estonia and Slovenia, and Austria plans to purchase them (along with the IRIS-T SLS variant). Due to such a large number of orders for IRIS-T SLM systems, Diehl Defense plans to increase the production capacity of this system, as well as IRIS-T series missiles, several times in the coming years. Overall, Diehl Defense intends to invest more than 1 billion euros in the development of military production in all areas between 2022 and 2027. The production of the IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft missiles, as well as the IRIS-T air-to-air missiles, is carried out on two production lines (400 to 500 IRIS-T SLM missiles in 2024 and increasing to 1,000 units in 2026). The company is also working on the development of the IRIS-T SLX long-range anti-aircraft missile, with the declared readiness for serial production in 2028.
NOMAD
In 2024, the Norwegian Kongsberg Group presented and began testing the new self-propelled short-range air defense system NOMAD (Norwegian Maneuver Air Defence) – a complex on a tracked armored chassis ACSV G5 of the German company FFG. Test firings were carried out using IRIS-T missiles, but serial deliveries of the complex to both customers are planned in a version equipped with AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder guided missiles. Norway intends to purchase six NOMAD systems (batteries) with delivery in 2026-2028, and the Netherlands, apparently, the same number.
Man-portable air defense missile system
In Europe, the production of portable anti-aircraft missile systems is currently carried out by:
Since 2023, the Italian branch of the MBDA association (MBDA Italia) has been working on the development of a new generation of MANPADS jointly with the Italian Army and Ministry of Defense to replace the Stinger MANPADS currently in service. The system should have an IIR infrared homing system developed by Leonardo and be especially adapted to combat small UAVs.
The United States, Great Britain, the European Union, Israel, South Korea and Japan are the leading manufacturers of various aviation products, including modern fighters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for military purposes, from loitering munitions to heavy reconnaissance and reconnaissance-strike vehicles. The exception is combat FPV drones (First-Person View), used in the vast majority of cases as loitering munitions (kamikaze drones). In this capacity, they began to be widely used and produced only during the SVO by both Russian and Ukrainian troops.
Fighters
The production of modern fighters is highly monopolistic. The range of manufacturers of modern Western fighters is very limited: in the United States, these are Lockheed Martin and Boeing; in Europe, the French company Dassault Aviation, the Swedish group Saab, the European consortium Eurofighter, which includes the Airbus group, the British company BAE Systems and the Italian Leonardo; in South Korea, Korea Aerospace Industries; in Japan, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The high cost of developing and producing fighters forces manufacturers to cooperate with each other. In addition to the Eurofighter consortium for the production of Typhoon fighters, the production of American F-35 fighters is carried out in cooperation with companies from different countries; the F-35 is assembled, in addition to the Lockheed Martin plant in the United States, at plants in Italy and Japan. Of all the above-mentioned countries, only the US and Italy assemble different types of fighters at different plants: the US assembles the F-15, F-16, F/A-18 and F-35, while Italy assembles the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35. The other countries each have one plant where final assembly of one type of fighter is performed: Rafale in France, KF-21 in South Korea, F-35 in Japan, and Eurofighter Typhoon final assembly plants, in addition to Italy, are in the UK, Germany and Spain. Fighter production plans and volumes in Western countries have not changed significantly over the past two years.
Fighter F-35
The most widely produced modern Western fighter is the F-35 of the American corporation Lockheed Martin, produced in three main variants: the basic F-35A, the F-35B with short takeoff and vertical landing, and the carrier-based F-35C for the US Navy. There are three plants in total that perform the final assembly and checkout (FACO) of these fighters177:
In total, up to 3,542 F-35s will be produced for the US and foreign customers by mid-2024. The US military will receive 2,456 F-35s: 1,763 F-35As for the Air Force, 273 F-35Cs for the Navy, and 353 F-35Bs and 67 F-35Cs for the Marine Corps.178 Foreign customers expect to receive up to 1,086 G-35s: Australia — 72 F-35A179, Belgium — 34 F-35A180, Great Britain — 138 F-35B181, Germany — 35 F-35A182, Greece — 40 F-35A183, Denmark — 27 F-35A184, Israel — 75 F-35I (essentially the same F-35A)185, Italy — 60 F-35A and 30 F-35B186, Canada — 88 F-35A187, Netherlands — 52 F-35A188, Norway — 52 F-35A189, Poland — 32 F-35A190, Singapore — 8 F-35A and 12 F-35B191, Finland — 64 F-35A192, Czech Republic – 24 F-35A193, Switzerland – 36 F-35A194, South Korea – 60 F-35A195, Japan – 105 F-35A and 42 F-35B196.
Production rates for all F-35 variants have been consistent with expected production and customer delivery rates in recent years. Lockheed Martin expects to reach its planned peak F-35 production rate of approximately 156 aircraft per year and maintain it until at least 2028.197
Fighter F-16
F-16 fighters are manufactured by Lockheed Martin at its plant in Greenville, USA. Currently, Block 70/72 (F-16V) G-16 fighters are manufactured there for foreign customers. The first fighter built at this plant was officially handed over to the Bahraini Air Force in March 2023.198
By mid-2024, foreign orders for 176 new-build F-16V fighters were known. Bahrain ordered 16 new F-16Vs, while Bulgaria ordered 16 F-16Vs, Jordan ordered 12, Morocco ordered 24, Taiwan ordered 66, Slovakia ordered 14, and Turkey ordered 40.199
Lockheed Martin expects to reach a production rate of about 48 F-16Vs per year at the Greenville plant by the end of 2025.200
Fighters F-15 и F/A-18
Boeing Defense, Space & Security, a defense division of the American corporation Boeing, is conducting final assembly of the G-15 and F/A-18 fighters on the assembly lines of the aircraft industrial complex located in St. Louis (Missouri, USA).
The G-15 fighter production line continues to be loaded with both orders for the latest modification of these fighters, the F-15EX Eagle II (based on the F-15QA201), for the US Air Force, and export orders. In 2020, the US Air Force signed a contract with Boeing for the delivery of up to 200 F-15EX aircraft, the first of which was delivered to the customer in 2021.202 In June 2024, the troops received the eighth F-15EX from the first production batch.203
After Boeing completed a contract for 36 F-15QA fighters for the Qatar Air Force in 2023,204 it awarded contracts for 24 F-15EX to Indonesia (as the F-15IDN)205 and 25 or 50 F-15EX to Israel (as the F-15IA)206.
Given the large orders, Boeing expects production volumes to increase to two aircraft per month (24 per year) by 2025.207 For this purpose, the GKN Aerospace plant located in St. Louis, which supplies critical parts for the G-15208 production, was purchased.
Production of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block III fighters after the Kuwaiti export order is completed in 2021209 is supported only by orders for the US Navy. The last 17 fighters of this type are to be assembled in 2026-2027, after which their production will cease210.
Eurofighter Typhoon
Final assembly of the Eurofighter Typhoon fighters of the Eurofighter consortium is carried out at four plants of the three members of this consortium:
As of spring 2024, a total of 680 Eurofighter Typhoons had been ordered by nine countries, 603 of which had been delivered to customers.212 With major orders from the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy fulfilled and no new major export contracts in sight, the production rate has fallen to around 10 fighters per year.213
BAE Systems’ Warton plant is currently executing an export contract for 24 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3A variants for the Qatar Air Force214, while Leonardo’s Turin-Caselle plant is executing an export contract for 28 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3 variants for the Kuwait Air Force215. In addition, Airbus’ Manching plant in Germany is preparing to produce a batch of 38 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 4 variants for the German Air Force in 2025-2030, while Airbus’ Getafe plant in Spain is executing 20 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 4 variants for the Spanish Air Force in 2026-2030.216
The main objective of the consortium members and the governments behind them is to maintain at least a minimum rate of production in order to support aircraft factories and maintain industrial capabilities in the production of modern fighters. Germany will purchase 20 Eurofighter Typhoon217, Spain – 25 Eurofighter Typhoon218, Italy – another 24 aircraft219.
Rafale
French Dassault Aviation with its Rafale fighter, unlike its European competitors from Eurofighter, is rather faced with the problem of a lack of production capacity to fulfill all export orders and plans to expand production. The Dassault Aviation aircraft plant in Bordeaux-Merignac near Bordeaux (Gironde department, France) is the final assembly site for all Rafale fighters, produced in three variants: the single-seat land-based Rafale C, the two-seat land-based Rafale B and the single-seat carrier-based Rafale M fighter. Since 2023, deliveries of fighters of these variants have begun in the modernized modification Rafale F4220.
Dassault Aviation delivered 26 Rafale aircraft to customers in 2019, 13 in 2020, 25 in 2021, 14 in 2022, and 13221 in 2023. Up to and including 2023, 266 aircraft were delivered: 164 for the French Armed Forces and 102 for foreign customers222.
To fulfill all of Dassault Aviation’s contracts between 2024 and 2032223 inclusive, it will be necessary to maintain production volumes of approximately 25 Rafales per year on average, with India already in talks to purchase 26 Rafale M224 carrier-based fighters, and other new contracts likely. In this regard, Dassault Aviation will increase the maximum production rate to three aircraft per month during 2024225.
JAS-39 Gripen
Another modern European fighter, the JAS-39 Gripen, is serially produced by the Swedish aviation and defense group Saab. The latest upgraded versions are the single-seat JAS-39E and two-seat JAS-39F. The total number of JAS-39 Gripen of all versions produced is 308 units: 204 fighters in the JAS-39 A/B and JAS-39 C/D versions were delivered to Sweden itself (some were sold or leased to other countries)226 and 26 JAS-39 C/D to South Africa227. Today, Saab is fulfilling contracts for the delivery of 60 JAS-39E for the Swedish Air Force and 36 JAS-39E/F for the Brazilian Air Force228.
Final assembly of the fighters takes place at the aircraft plant in Linköping (Östergötland Province, Sweden) with a planned production rate of up to 24 JAS-39E/F per year.229 However, orders are being fulfilled seriously behind schedule: the first JAS-39Es are not expected to be delivered directly to the Swedish Air Force until 2025.230; the first JAS-39E for Brazil made its maiden flight in 2019.231 However, by the summer of 2024, Brazil had received only seven of the 36 ordered.232
KF-21
South Korean aircraft manufacturer Korea Aerospace Industries, a new player in the combat fighter market, is starting production of the KF-21 fighter thanks to the success of the T-5O/FA-5O family of multirole trainer/light combat aircraft. The first production aircraft (20 KF-21 in 2024 and 2025) are scheduled to enter service with the South Korean Air Force in 2026. A total of 120 KF-21233 fighters are scheduled to be delivered to the South Korean Air Force by 2032.
Table 3. Production rates of the main types of fighters in Western countries
| Fighter | Production rates per year | Comments |
| F-16 Block 70/72 | 36 (plan for 2024) | Export only; planned to increase to A8 in 2025. |
| F-15EX Strike Eagle II | 36 (approximately) | 107 ordered for US Air Force and overseas customers |
| F/A-18 / Growler | 24 (approximately) | Last order placed, growth rate slows to 18 per year; line to close in 2027. |
| F-35 Lightning II | 150 (approximately) | All versions, including aircraft intended for export |
| Dassault Rafale | 20 | It is planned to increase to 56 per year |
| Eurofighter Typhoon | 10 | A joint production between Great Britain, Germany and Italy |
In general, the production of unmanned military aircraft today can be divided into two or three groups. The first group is the production of heavy reconnaissance and reconnaissance-strike UAVs weighing more than 500 kg, which in complexity and cost are at the level of manned aircraft and helicopters. Manufacturers of heavy UAVs are large state or private military-industrial structures. The production and production plans for such UAVs have not undergone any drastic changes over the past two years. The leading developers and manufacturers among Western countries are the American corporations Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman.
RQ-4 Global Hawk и MQ-4C Triton
The heavy, high-altitude, long-endurance RQ-4 Global Hawk reconnaissance UAVs in various versions, including the MQ-4C Triton maritime patrol UAVs based on them, are among the heaviest and most expensive UAVs in the world. They are manufactured by the aircraft manufacturing division of the American corporation Northrop Grumman — Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. Since the start of their serial production, about 58 RQ-4 Global Hawks have been built: approximately 45 RQ-4A/RQ-4B for the US Air Force234, 5 RQ-4D for the NATO ground surveillance system235, 1 RQ-4E for Germany236, 4 RQ-4B for South Korea237 and 3 RQ-4B for Japan238. After 2023, the main production facilities are occupied with the production of MQ-4C Triton for the US Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The US Navy has now produced 27 MQ-4Cs239, although initial plans called for 68 units, and Australia has ordered 4 MQ-4Cs240 for its own air force; there are no new export orders. Northrop Grumman had planned to expand production to 12 units per year241, but due to the reduction in purchases from the Navy, the current rate looks excessive. Funds for the MQ-4C Triton are currently allocated based on the purchase of two to three UAVs per year for the US Navy242
Among Northrop Grumman’s products is the MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned helicopter, which is produced for the US Navy in the MQ-8C version (38 units of this type were delivered to the customer in 2023)243.
MQ-9 Reaper, MQ-1C Gray Eagle и Predator ХР
The American heavy reconnaissance and attack UAV with long flight endurance MQ-9 Reaper is produced by the subsidiary of General Atomics Corporation — General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI). The main customer of the MQ-9 in the MQ-9A variant is the US Air Force. As of 2022, 345 MQ-9A Reaper UAVs and a corresponding number of ground control posts for them have been produced for the US Air Force alone (the total number should be about 430 MQ-9A units). The standard complex is three MQ-9 UAVs per ground control post. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems is capable of producing up to 60 heavy reconnaissance and attack UAVs with long flight endurance per year, if you count the MQ-9 and MQ-1C together. In the case of the MQ-9, at the peak of production for the US Air Force, the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems plant reached an assembly rate of 48 UAVs per year245, but this rate has gradually decreased. In 2022, four MQ-9s were purchased for the US Air Force and eight for the Marine Corps, and in 2023, five for the USMC.246
General Atomics is expecting to launch into production the new Mojave long-endurance reconnaissance and attack UAV, which has already been tested. Another family of reconnaissance and reconnaissance-attack UAVs from General Atomics traces its lineage to the RQ-1/MQ-1 Predator UAV. Currently, one modernized version of these UAVs is being produced – the reconnaissance-attack MQ-1C Gray Eagle, which is significantly lighter and smaller than the MQ-9 Reaper and is produced only for the US Army. A lighter reconnaissance UAV, the Predator XP, is offered for export; it was supplied only to the UAE in the mid-2010s in unknown quantities.247
The UAVs are assembled at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ Poway, San Diego, facility. By 2022, 222 MQ-1C248s had been produced. Funds were awarded for an additional 12 MQ-1Cs249 in FY23.
MQ-25 Stingray
Another heavy American UAV that deserves special attention is the MQ-25 Stingray from Boeing. This aircraft was created by order of the US Navy as the world’s first carrier-based unmanned refueling aircraft; more than 70 such UAVs are planned to be ordered. In February 2024, the first MQ-25 was transferred to the US Navy for testing. In April 2024, Boeing showed a smaller model of the reconnaissance and strike version of the MQ-2 5250 at one of the exhibitions. A plant was built in Mascouta (Illinois, USA) for the production of the MQ-25251.
In the field of heavy UAV production, European and South Korean companies are seriously lagging behind the United States.
KUS-FS
In South Korea, production of the heavy long-endurance reconnaissance UAV KUS-FS (aka Medium-Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) began only in January 2024. These devices are assembled by an enterprise of the aircraft manufacturing division of the South Korean airline Korean Air (Korean Air Aerospace Division, KAL-ASD). This is a very large UAV, larger and heavier than the American MQ-9A Reaper, and the main suppliers of various components are divisions of the South Korean companies Hanwha Group and LIG Nexl252.
European long-endurance UAVs from major manufacturers are much smaller – the Patroller is very close in size and maximum takeoff weight to the American Predator XP, the Falco Xplorer is somewhat heavier and larger, and the SIRTAP is lighter and smaller, but leading European manufacturers are experiencing problems with their development.
Patroller
Only in February 2024, operational tests began on the first Patroller UAV delivered to the French Army by Safran Electronics & Defense, part of the French Safran group253. In total, the French ground forces are to receive 28 Patroller UAVs in five complexes by 2030 inclusive. Each complex consists of two ground control posts and five UAVs, which amounts to 10 ground control posts and 25 UAVs, plus three additional UAVs to them254. In addition, Greece has ordered four UAVs255.
SIRTAP
The European Airbus Group plans to launch the first prototype of the SIRTAP UAV in 2025 and begin delivering these UAVs to Spain in 2026 under a contract for the purchase of nine systems. Each system consists of a ground control center and three UAVs each, for a total of 27 devices and nine control centers256.
Falco EVO и Falco Xplorer
The Italian company Leonardo serially produces reconnaissance aircraft of the Falco family (the latest model is the Falco EVO). Since the appearance of the first Falco XN model in 2003, 50 unmanned systems of the family have been delivered to various countries257. Each system includes a ground control station, auxiliary equipment and four UAVs258, that is, over 20 years of UAV production, about 200 devices have been produced. In recent years, Leonardo has been testing a heavier UAV, the Falco Xplorer, and although no orders have been received for it, the company assures that it will increase production to 12 devices per year259.
Aarok
In mid-2023, a small French company, Turgis & Gaillard Industrie, showed a prototype of the heavy reconnaissance and attack UAV Aarok. Its dimensions and maximum takeoff weight are between the American MQ-9A Reaper and the South Korean KUS-FS. Although flight tests of this UAV have not yet begun, in the fall of 2023, the company signed a contract with the Ukrainian state enterprise Antonov to organize the production of a large reconnaissance and attack UAV based on the Aarok design in Ukraine. The first devices were supposed to be assembled in 2024,260 but no information about this has appeared.
Hermes 900 и Hermes 450
Israeli companies Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries occupy a significant share of the heavy UAV market, which is purchased by European countries, among others. The most famous Israeli heavy UAV on the world market, the Hermes 900, manufactured by Elbit Systems, is in the niche of the American Predator UAV in terms of size and maximum takeoff weight. The standard complex includes three to four UAVs and a ground control center, this configuration can be changed. In early March 2023, an order was received for the 120th Hermes 900261. In addition to Israel, well-known buyers include Azerbaijan, Brazil, Colombia, India, Iceland, Morocco, Mexico, Thailand, the Philippines, Chile, Switzerland and other countries. Germany is also currently showing interest in the Hermes 900. Elbit Systems has gained a high production rate and is capable of producing about 10 or more Hermes 900 per year. In addition, Elbit Systems continues to produce lighter Hermes 450 UAVs, which are on the border between medium and heavy aircraft in terms of maximum take-off weight. Elbit Systems is expanding production by creating joint ventures with foreign partners for UAV assembly. For example, in India, where some Hermes 900 and Hermes 450 UAVs are assembled for other customers, as well as four Hermes 900 ordered by Delhi in 2023 at Elbit Systems’ joint venture with the Indian company Adani Defence & Aerospace — Adani Elbit Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Complex in Hyderabad (Telangana, India)262. Elbit Systems is considering the possibility of creating a new assembly plant for various UAVs in the Czech city of Pardubice together with LPP263.
Heron
Israel Aerospace Industries, a major UAV manufacturer, produces the Heron family of heavy UAVs, from the large tactical reconnaissance UAV Tactical Heron to the larger Heron, Heron Mk 2 and the heaviest high-altitude reconnaissance UAV Heron TP. UAVs of this family were purchased by Azerbaijan, Brazil, Vietnam, Germany, Greece, India, Canada, Turkey and other countries. But in recent years, their competitors from Elbit Systems have enjoyed great success. The second group is the production of various micro-UAVs, mini-UAVs, light and medium UAVs. The production of these types of UAVs is carried out on the basis of commercial components, or the devices themselves are modified commercial products. Loitering munitions, including FPV drones, can be distinguished as a subgroup of the second or a separate third group. Due to the active use of mass-produced commercial components and common materials, in addition to large military-industrial structures, numerous small manufacturers are engaged in the production of such UAVs.
Boeing — Insitu produces light tactical UAVs such as ScanEagle, Integrator, RQ-21 Blackjack. Textron Corporation’s defense division — Textron Systems produces RQ-7B V2 Block III Improved Shadow reconnaissance UAVs, Aerosonde vertical takeoff and landing UAVs, and others. AeroVironment produces RQ-11B Raven and RQ-20 Puma hand-launched reconnaissance UAVs, T-20 light reconnaissance UAVs, JUMP 20 and Quantix Recon vertical takeoff and landing reconnaissance UAVs, Switchblade 300 and 600 loitering munitions. Teledyne FLIR produces ROGUE 1 kamikaze quadcopters, SKYRANGER R70 reconnaissance quadcopters, and Black Hornet Nano helicopter-type micro-UAVs.
Among smaller American manufacturers, we can note Anduril Industries from the Californian city of Costa Mesa, which offers light reconnaissance UAVs and loitering munitions of the Altius family, the company AEVEX Aerospace, which produces loitering munitions Phoenix Ghost for Ukraine, and Cyberlux Corporation, which produces various multicopters.
The European Airbus group and its subsidiary SURVEY Copter produce light reconnaissance UAVs Aliaca Evo, Aliaca ER, DVF 2000 ER and a light vertical takeoff and landing UAV SARA-X. The Italian Leonardo produces medium helicopter-type UAVs AWHERO and micro-UAVs CREX-B for hand launch. The German company Quantum-System from Gilching (federal state of Bavaria, Germany) specializes in the production of a number of vertical takeoff and landing UAVs and multicopters. The British company Malloy Aeronautics from Berkshire specializes in the development and production of various multi-rotor UAVs with a large payload. The Polish company WB Electronics produces WARMATE loitering munitions, FlyEye reconnaissance mini-UAVs, and FT5 tactical reconnaissance UAVs.
Israeli Elbit Systems produces and exports Skylark family reconnaissance UAVs and SkyStriker family loitering munitions. Israel Aerospace Industries produces BirdEye 650D light reconnaissance UAVs and Thunder B-VTOL and WanderB-VTOL vertical takeoff and landing UAVs.
A subsidiary of Israeli Rafael Advanced Defense Systems — Aeronautics Defense Systems is known for its light and mini-UAVs, as well as loitering munitions, such as the Aerostar and the Orbiter family, which, in addition to Israel, are also assembled in Azerbaijan at the Azad Systems joint venture in Baku264.
There are also companies specializing in the production of one or two UAV models. The German Rheinmetall Group produces tactical reconnaissance UAVs Luna NG. Austrian Schiebel produces helicopter-type UAVs Camcopter S-100. French company Novadem produces small military quadcopters NX70. Joint venture of the Swedish Saab Group and Swiss UMS Aero Group — UMS Skeldar — produces medium helicopter-type UAVs Skeldar V-150 and Skeldar V-200.
This is only a part of the numerous manufacturers of light UAVs and loitering munitions that are produced in the West. It is in this area that there is a sharp increase in orders and expansion of production. Even not the largest manufacturers, with appropriate funding, are capable of deploying the production of such UAVs and loitering munitions in the hundreds and thousands of units per year.
Vector
The Vector vertical takeoff and landing reconnaissance UAVs, manufactured by the German company Quantum-System, were a relatively niche product until 2022265, but with the start of the SVO, they gained popularity in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which became a major customer of these devices. In 2022, 33 UAVs of this type were ordered266, in 2023 – 405, by the end of 2024, 500 UAVs will be delivered to Ukraine, and another 800 units were ordered for 2025267.
This required an expansion of production, since these UAVs began to be ordered by other countries (for example, in early 2024, it became known about an order for Vector UAVs from the Romanian Armed Forces). To relieve the plant in Germany, in April 2024, an assembly plant for Vector UAVs was opened in Ukraine, where it is planned to assemble up to 1,000 such devices per year268.
RQ-35
A small Danish company, Sky-Watch from Støvring, which produces hand-launched RQ-35 reconnaissance UAVs for Ukraine, was producing 240-300 units per year (20-25 units per month) as of 2023269; production is expected to double compared to the previous year.
Altius-600
The young US company Anduril Industries has received large orders from Ukraine270 and Taiwan in 2023-2024 for the supply of previously unproduced ALTIUS 600 UAVs, which can be used, depending on the variant, for reconnaissance or as loitering munitions. The volumes of deliveries to Ukraine are unknown, but 291 ALTIUS 6OOM-V UAVs are expected to be delivered to Taiwan in 2024-2025271.
Switchblade 300 и 600
AeroVironment is ramping up production of the Switchblade family of loitering munitions. By early May 2023, AeroVironment had shipped more than 1,000 Switchblade 300, Switchblade 600 loitering munitions and RQ-20 Puma272 reconnaissance UAVs to Ukraine. The vast majority of these were Switchblade 300s, but as they performed poorly in combat, AeroVironment began to roll out production of the heavier Switchblade 600 loitering munition. In addition to deliveries to Ukraine, over 1,000 Switchblade 600s have been ordered for the US Army for delivery by the end of 2025.273, and an unknown number of Switchblade 600s have been ordered by Lithuania for delivery in 2024.274 Switchblade 300 production also continues, with 720 Switchblade 300s to be delivered to Taiwan alone in 2024–2025.275 There are also 2023 contracts with France and another US ally.276 The company has the potential to produce over 2,000 Switchblade 600s per year, and there are plans to triple their production.277
WARMATE
Production of Polish WARMATE loitering munitions from WB Electronics of the WB Group has rapidly increased in the last two years: in 2023, the company produced 2,000 of these kamikaze drones, and in 2024, it plans to produce 4,000 WARMATEs, with 90-95% going for export278. The main buyer is Ukraine, while Georgia has organized their assembly on its territory at the Delta-VB joint venture279.
Black Hornet Nano
The Black Hornet Nano line of helicopter-type reconnaissance micro-UAVs is produced by the Norwegian company Prox Dynamics, which is owned by the American Teledyne FLIR. These UAVs, the size and weight of a large insect or a very small bird (the Black Hornet 3 weighs only 32 g), have been gaining increasing popularity among Western militaries since their launch. As of mid-2023, more than 14 thousand of these unmanned systems have been delivered to 40 countries. Massive military aid to Ukraine from the West has spurred their production: Norway alone signed a contract with Teledyne FLIR in the summer of 2023 to purchase 1,000 Black Hornet 3 for Ukraine280.
Т-80/Т-150/Т-400
The family of heavy multirotor UAVs produced by the British company Malloy Aeronautics received a sharp boost in 2022. These UAVs were created primarily as cargo UAVs, but a significant portion of them are now supplied to Ukraine, where they are used to drop ammunition and mine the area. In addition, orders for these UAVs were received from the US Marine Corps and other military customers, which required an expansion of production. Production output increased from 12-15 UAVs in 2021 to almost 200 in 2023.281 In the United States, they are just beginning to work out the use of FPV drones in the troops and introduce training for military FPV drone operators.282 And the military-industrial complex of Western countries is still experimenting with them. Accordingly, mass deliveries of such drones both to their own Armed Forces and to Ukraine have not yet been established. As of June 2024, the Western coalition for drone supplies to Ukraine (Drone Capability Coalition), led by the UK and Latvia, created in February of this year, has launched a competition for developments for subsequent deliveries of FPV drones to Ukraine. It is planned to purchase up to 15 batches of 20 FPV drones each from different developers for testing, after which the best models will be selected for mass production283. In total, the coalition expects to deliver up to 1 million drones to Ukraine, a significant portion of which will be assembled in the UK. An aid package of about $250 million is being allocated to organize production.284
Due to the low cost and mass production of various commercial components used in FPV drones in the world, their development and deployment of mass production in various Western countries can be carried out in a fairly short time from zero to tens and then hundreds of thousands of drones per month, as happened in Russia and Ukraine in 1.5-2 years. Thus, Ukrainian manufacturers already manufactured about 200 thousand FPV drones in January-February 2024285.
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