War in Ukraine: European Defence Agency signs new contracts for joint procurement of 155mm ammunition

On 5 September, the European Defence Agency (EDA) signed in Brussels five framework contracts with European industry for the joint procurement of 155mm ammunition. This brings the number of contracts to eight.

EDA Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý said: “We are now offering viable opportunities for Member States to place orders with industry through EDA, either to support Ukraine or to replenish their own national stocks. It is now up to Member States to make full use of these options.”

“Putin does not show any sign of letting up in his aggression against the Ukrainian people. This is why our military support for Ukraine’s defence must continue,” said EU High Representative Josep Borrell, who is also Head of the European Defence Agency

To date, the 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.

More framework contracts will soon materialise for other howitzer systems.

These contracts are part of the “three tracks” proposal that was put forward in March 2023 by EU High Representative Josep Borrell and later approved by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament (Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP)).

Under Track 1, EU Member states have been invited to urgently transfer ammunition from their own stocks to Ukraine. The EU countries then have agreed to jointly procure one million ammunition rounds (Track 2). Now, Track 3 aims to ramp up production capacity in the European defence industry.

Find out more

Press release