Poland is set to drastically increase its domestic production of howitzer ammunition in response to the growing Russian threat and its own strategic vulnerabilities, according to Poland’s state assets minister, Jakub Jaworowski.
State-controlled defense group PGZ is expected to receive 2.4 billion zlotys ($663 million) in government funding “in the coming days” to ramp up output of 155mm artillery shells – standard for NATO howitzers – as well as 120mm shells for tanks.
“155mm ammunition plays a key role on the modern battlefield and is needed in large numbers,” Jaworowski told the Financial Times (FT).
“Our goal in the short term is to significantly increase domestic production of this type of armament, as well as to become independent of foreign supplies and build a sustainable base for national autonomy. This is one of our priorities,” he added.
PGZ currently produces around 30,000 large-caliber shells annually. The new funding aims to raise that figure more than fivefold, to between 150,000 and 180,000 within three years – all manufactured domestically to avoid reliance on imported parts, the report reads.
Poland, which borders Ukraine and Belarus, has become NATO’s largest proportional defense spender, allocating 4.7% of its GDP to military needs.
But much of its recent spending has gone to imports from the US and South Korea. The government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk is now pivoting toward homegrown defense production, aligning with wider European efforts to reduce dependency on foreign suppliers.
Despite this shift, Poland still faces critical shortages. In April, PGZ chairman Krzysztof Trofiniak resigned unexpectedly after just one year, amid frustration over slow production. Around the same time, National Security Bureau chief Dariusz Łukowski warned that Poland’s current ammunition reserves might last only one to two weeks in a full-scale war, according to FT.
The PGZ investment follows the Polish parliament’s November approval of €700 million ($822 million) in public funding to support domestic ammunition manufacturing.
Recently, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that soaring military spending could ultimately bring down Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime.
“Putin should understand that he is on the path of [Soviet leader Leonid] Brezhnev. He once said that the Soviet Union collapsed because it spent too much on armament, and now he is doing exactly the same thing,” Sikorski told AFP.
Last week, Poland’s Sejm voted to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty, which bans the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines.
“Poland cannot be placed under any straitjacket that would prevent us from defending our homeland,” said Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
The move follows a proposal made by Prime Minister Donald Tusk earlier this year, and comes in the wake of a joint declaration by the defense ministers of Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, signaling their intent to exit the treaty.
“With this decision, we are sending a clear message: Our countries are prepared and can use every necessary measure to defend our territory and freedom,” the ministers stated.
In April, Poland also announced it was seeking suppliers for innovative remote mining solutions, according to Militarnyi.