Reuters reported that Poland will conclude the tender for the joint production line for ammunition, especially 155 mm shells, in three to four months.

 The contenders for the JV are firms from Turkiye, ROK, Germany, and France. A transfer of technology (ToT) and production licence will form the JV with Poland’s state-owned PGZ.

 Poland seeks to acquire higher-end weapons and form a large stock of ammunition in preparation for a potential conflict with Russia, as this is the case for other European countries.

 Polish Government’s Meeting with Turkish MKE

 Previously, the Polish government announced a meeting with Turkiye’s MKE took place regarding ToT and joint production for 155 mm ammunition. The statement underlined that MKE’s offer was in line with the needs of the Polish Armed Forces.

 Prior to this meeting, Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited Ankara to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss cooperation between Poland and Turkiye, specifically for security subjects. Tusk has emphasised Turkiye’s place in Europe’s security from time to time.

 The Harsh Reality of Ammunition Expenditure in Wars

 Due to most of the conflicts being limited in scale after the end of World War II, the scale of artillery ammunition expenditure was fairly limited until the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War. After the complaints of ammunition shortages, both sides (Let it be fighting or supporting parties) have concluded that the mass production of artillery ammunition is as essential as high-grade weaponry like cruise or ballistic missiles for an all-out war.

Poland’s Stance as a Neighbour to the War

Sitting close to the war, Poland has taken various actions, such as providing military aid to Ukraine and entering a rush of military acquisitions. Most of the acquisitions have been from the U.S. (M1A1 Abrams MBTs, M142 HIMARS MLRS, F-35A fighters...) and ROK (K239 Chunmoo MLRS, K2 MBT, FA-50 LCA, K9A2 SPG...).

The recent shifts in the Europe policy of the U.S. (in a negative way) have led Poland to turn to Europe and its own capabilities to continue the military buildup. Thus, European countries with the major supplier role (France, Germany) and Turkiye might be taking a more critical role in Poland’s security in the near future.

Author: Kaan Azman

Editor: Özgür Ekşi