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Critical node· Defense & armament · Critical anchor
155 mm shells, the West
Düsseldorf, Germany51.23°N 6.78°E
computed criticality17/100
reading
Western 155mm shell shortage; EU/US capacity toward ~2M/year
2024Fault line
The war in Ukraine revealed that the West produces far fewer artillery shells than it consumes. The ramp-up is slow, limited by explosive-filling furnaces, nitrocellulose and a few machining lines.
↘Easing2027
The US Army targets 100,000 155mm shells per month (up from ~14,500 before 2022 and ~40,000 by mid-2025), a goal now expected by mid-2026: Western capacity is ramping up and the chokepoint is gradually easing.National Defense Magazine, 2025 ↗
Actors
Rheinmetall
KNDS (Nexter)
General Dynamics OTS
BAE Systems
Sources