Western Media Article: Ammunition Shortage Reflects Europe's Defense Autonomy Shortcomings

Reference News Network, August 28 The Spanish magazine "Defense" published an article on August 23 titled "Europe Accelerates Ammunition Production, but Still Appears Slow," authored by José María Navarro García. The translation is as follows:

Ammunition shortages, especially missile shortages, have become one of the key factors in the U.S. war against Iran. Recent articles in international media have raised the question: Is the pause or de-escalation of conflict merely due to political or diplomatic considerations, or is it also related to the actual availability of weapons that are difficult to replenish? The core issue is that if the rate of consumption exceeds industrial capacity, then no amount of technological advantage will help.

We should also discuss the situation in Europe. Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict more than four years ago, Europe has restarted its production capacity for ammunition and more complex weapon systems. This is both to supply Ukraine and to replenish its own strained arsenals.

Europe is in a phase of rearming, and the true mark of its strategic autonomy is no longer the size of its budget, but whether it can timely and adequately convert these expenditures into ammunition. The war in Ukraine has exposed a structural weakness: for decades, the organizational structure of the European defense industry has been focused on small-batch, long-cycle production, rather than supporting sustained ammunition consumption in a high-intensity combat environment. The result of this situation is the current industrial race against time, aimed at rebuilding military strength that has been forced to be reassessed during wartime.

Brussels has taken financial and regulatory measures to accelerate the production of shells, missiles, and key components. The goal of increasing annual ammunition production capacity to 2 million rounds, along with various plans to support the defense industrial base, reflects a consensus that has long been reached within European institutions: without production capacity, increasing defense spending is merely a political commitment. The problem is that this leap in scale requires investment, personnel, raw materials, production capacity, and planning, and Europe has lagged in these areas for years.

In this context, Rheinmetall has become the most prominent symbol of the new industrial cycle in Europe. The company received over 130 million euros in EU funding in 2024 to expand ammunition production. This figure is significant as it indicates that Brussels is directly funding the industry's capacity expansion. The combination of public funds and corporate expansion has made Rheinmetall a bellwether for Europe's military re-industrialization.

Another major player in the industry is the Slovak MSM Group, which includes the Granada ammunition factory in Spain. This factory produces 105mm and 120mm caliber tank shells, 105mm and 155mm caliber artillery shells, as well as the propellant and components needed for missiles. The Granada ammunition factory has become an important industrial asset within the European ammunition industry system.

However, the fundamental issue is that while Europe is continuously expanding its production capacity, it has not yet bridged the gap between demand and sustainable production. However, the war has forced Europe to shift from a situation of dwindling stockpiles to one of continuous replenishment, and this transition requires a rapid response from Europe. This has created pressure on raw material producers in industries such as chemicals and metallurgy, as well as manufacturers in the electronics sector (for example, those producing electronic fuses for ammunition).

Europe's strategic autonomy cannot be achieved through mere rhetoric; it requires the establishment of an industrial network capable of producing ammunition in a stable, diversified, and predictable manner. In fact, broadly speaking, "ammunition" has indeed become a mirror of European defense, with industrial companies like MSM and Rheinmetall working against the clock to meet the levels demanded by the new security environment. (Translation/ Wang Meng)