London: As part of efforts to eliminate dependence on the United States and France in the production of ammunition, the United Kingdom intends to significantly increase the production of hexogen explosive, which is used in NATO 155-millimeter shells, the Times newspaper reported, citing a UK defense company.
According to the publication, large British defense company BAE Systems, the country’s only manufacturer of 155-millimeter artillery shells, previously imported RDX (hexogen) from the US and France, but against the backdrop of the policies of US President Donald Trump, British and European defense companies are refusing to buy American equipment.
Cargo containers for the production of RDX explosives will be installed in the UK, and by summer this year, BAE will have increase the production of 155-millimeter rounds 16-fold over two years, the publication says.
Steve Cardew, the business development director at BAE Systems’ Maritime and Land Defence Solutions, told the newspaper that each container would produce up to 100 tonnes of explosives per year. The company also intends to sell, as stated, the world’s first innovative technology to other countries.
It is noted that BAE Systems intends to refuse American components or materials in the production of ammunition so that they do not fall under the US International Trade in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which will allow the company to use and sell these munitions without any restrictions from the US side.
NATO countries widely use 155-millimeter rounds. The United States supplied Ukraine with long-range M777 155-millimeter howitzers, Ukrainian troops are actively using them to shell the cities of the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics. Also, Ukrainian troops were supplied with German self-propelled artillery units PzH 2000, Polish self-propelled guns Krab and French self-propelled guns CAESAR, all of them using shells of this caliber.
Russia believes that the supply of weapons to Ukraine hinders the settlement, directly involving NATO countries in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia. According to Lavrov, the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel in the UK, Germany, Italy and other countries.
