The European Commission announced this Friday the allocation of 500 million euros to the European Union (EU) to increase ammunition production to two million per year by the end of 2025, as well as to finance other defense programs.
In his statement, the community’s executive director indicates that this Friday he allocated 500 million euros provided for by the Ammunition Support Act (ASAP), created for the urgent supply of ammunition and, if necessary, missiles to Ukraine, as well as to assist EU Member States replenish their reserves by introducing specific measures.
“This amount will allow the European defense industry to increase its ammunition production capacity to two million rounds per year by the end of 2025,” the institution says.
Following the deadline for applications for ASAP funding, the European Commission selected 31 projects (none of them in Portugal) to strengthen and increase the production of gunpowder, explosives, projectiles, test certification and missiles across Europe, with co-financing provided by industry.
These projects, with a total budget of €513 million (of which €248 million is for gunpowder production and €124 million for explosives) from the EU and Norwegian budgets, will result in a total investment of around €1.4 billion in the supply chain subject to co-financing from sector enterprises.
Currently, since its creation in March 2023, this public initiative has already allowed the European annual production capacity of 155 mm cartridges to reach one million per year in January 2024.
Also this Friday, Brussels submitted bids to strengthen the European defense industry through common government contracts and innovation and technology, with the budget for these three measures amounting to almost two billion euros.
€310 million is earmarked for joint defense procurement to encourage member states to purchase capabilities to meet “the most urgent and critical needs, especially those exacerbated by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.”
These include ammunition (small arms, artillery ammunition, mortars, rockets), air and missile defense, and replacement of older systems (tanks, armored vehicles, support systems, soldier systems, drones).
“These funding priorities have been set jointly with the Member States,” the European Commission emphasizes, noting that the deadline for proposals ends on July 25, 2024.
In addition, €1.1 billion will be mobilized under the European Defense Fund to support EU defense technology and innovation projects in “critical areas” including countering hypersonic missiles, developing a range of unmanned vehicles in the air and on the ground and ensuring secure space communications .
The idea is to “set the stage for next-generation defense systems such as helicopters and medium cargo aircraft,” the agency concludes, pointing out that the deadline for proposals ends on November 5, 2024.
The statements come after the European Commission last week unveiled a European defense industrial strategy to create a “military economy” in the EU, with an investment program in the sector expected to cost €100 billion.
At stake is the European Defense Industrial Strategy, designed to respond to investment gaps in the sector through European instruments and joint government contracts and thus strengthen Ukraine’s capabilities and support for the Russian invasion that began in February 2022.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.