The European Defence Agency (EDA) has so far signed eight framework contracts with European industry for the joint procurement of 155mm ammunition.
The signing of the latest five contracts took place at EDA headquarters in Brussels on 5 September, during a visit of the European Union’s Political and Security Committee (PSC) ambassadors.
Till date, EDA has negotiated and signed the multiple framework contracts for the procurement of the 155mm ammunition round, also known as all-up-round, for the Panzerhaubitze 2000, as well as for the projectile and fuse components of ammunition for the Krab howitzer system.
Further, more framework contracts will soon materialise for other howitzer systems.
Collaborative procurement is the best option to achieve cost reduction from economies of scale and interoperability, while allowing Member States to purchase ammunition according to their national needs or in support of Ukraine.
The overarching EDA project arrangement has been signed by 26 Member States and Norway.
Flexible and inclusive, it allows all EDA Member States to join the initiative.
The ammunition being procured is for the most common self-propelled howitzers that EU Member States have sent to Ukraine: France’s Caesar; Poland’s Krab; Germany’s Panzerhaubitze 2000; and Slovakia’s Zuzana.
To comply with legal obligations and to protect commercially sensitive information, EDA cannot disclose the names of the contractors nor the unit prices at this stage, and does not comment on ongoing negotiations.
These framework contracts have been signed as part of a three-track approach to deliver more artillery ammunition and missiles to Ukraine, agreed by the EU Council in March 2023.
Through these three tracks, the EU is supporting Member States to deliver artillery ammunition and missiles from national stockpiles; to aggregate demand and jointly procure 155mm ammunition; and to ramp up the production capacity of the European defence industry.
Image Courtesy: https://mil.in.ua/en/news/
