A major announcement was made at the recent Eurostatory arms show in Paris by a senior executive from Northrop Grumman, revealing plans to manufacture ammunition in Ukraine. Dave Bartell, the Director of International Business at Northrop Grumman Defense System, disclosed that the assembly line in Ukraine would produce “medium caliber” ammunition funded by Ukrainian defense funds.
This marks the first time a major American arms producer has openly declared intent to manufacture munitions in Ukraine. Stanley Brown from the US State Department also confirmed the expectation of production, with a potential $2 billion US-financed Ukraine assistance program to support financing.
The assembly line is set to expand Northrop Grumman’s production capacity in Ukraine, with aims to manufacture tank ammunition and 155mm artillery ammunition. The move comes as the Ukrainian Armed Forces already operate US-made equipment using Northrop Grumman ammunition.
In addition to ammunition production, Northrop Grumman is making strides in Poland with its Integrated Battle Command System, a cutting-edge air defense network technology. The company was awarded $1.4 billion by the Pentagon to initiate full-rate production of the system, which has already been deployed to Poland.