France has enough ammunition for 2 months of war, and plans to expand its arsenal at least threefold
At the moment, the French Armed Forces have created a stockpile of shells and other ammunition that will last for two months of full-scale combat operations, given the experience of the Russian war against Ukraine. However, French senators are raising the issue more broadly, emphasising the need to create a reserve for six months of combat operations.
Here's What We Know
The authors of the publication note that France has already allocated 16 billion euros for the "consolidation of ammunition stocks" by 2025. This item of expenditure also includes the costs of the LCM (land-launched cruise missile) and FMAN (long-range anti-ship missile) programmes.
Specifically for 155mm projectiles, the volume of procurement in 2025 should be 50% higher than in 2024, although the volume of the current year was twice as high as in 2022.
This is probably a relatively low base for comparison, as, for example, in 2012-2017, the French defence industry produced only 500 155-mm shells per year, while the Ukrainian Armed Forces use at least 7,000 shells in a day of full-scale war. In addition, it is important for France to "consolidate its ammunition stocks", and this idea includes not only 155mm shells, but also 120mm tank shells, cruise and anti-aircraft missiles, and other types of ammunition.
French senators have raised the question that, given the experience of Russia's war against Ukraine, the six-month stockpile is already the minimum required. However, it is proposed to reach the volume of ammunition stocks for six months of full-scale combat operations for France by 2030, and there are significant doubts about the adequacy of resources to achieve this goal within the specified period.
Source: Opex360
