One of the World's Largest Defence Companies to Manufacture Ammunition in Ukraine
American company Northrop Grumman, the world's third-largest defence contractor by revenue, plans to establish production of medium-calibre ammunition in Ukraine. This was announced by one of Northrop's top managers, Dave Bartell, during the Eurosatory 2024 exhibition in Paris, as reported by Breaking Defense.
"We have been working, as you know, in Ukraine to set up medium-calibre ammunition production. This is our first project funded by 'Ukrainian dollars.' We aim to expand it to include 155mm tank ammunition and other munitions once we find innovative processes," stated Dave Bartell, who holds the position of Director of International Business in Northrop's Defence Systems sector.
Although Bartell did not disclose specific details of the joint production plans, he highlighted a new U.S. State Department programme aimed at developing defence enterprises in Ukraine. This programme includes a $2 billion investment into Ukraine's defence-industrial base, which will facilitate the establishment of joint U.S.-Ukrainian military production.
Notably, the agreement for joint production with Northrop is the first publicly announced deal between an American defence leader and the Ukrainian government regarding a production project in Ukraine.
However, American defence companies lag behind their European counterparts in signing joint production agreements in Ukraine. Earlier this month, German defence conglomerate Rheinmetall confirmed plans to open a factory for producing Lynx infantry fighting vehicles in Ukraine "in the near future."
Additionally, the German company announced negotiations with Ukrainian suppliers to create a new joint venture for producing artillery ammunition in the country.
This month, the Franco-German manufacturer KNDS and the Ukrainian firm KZVV also signed a contract to produce 155mm artillery shells in Ukraine.