The European Defence Agency, in charge of the European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy, has signed eight joint procurement contracts on 155 mm ammunition for Ukraine. The procurement marks the first time that the EU purchased weapons as a bloc.
Twenty-five EU member countries and Norway signed a Collaborative Procurement of Ammunition agreement in March 2023, enabling the signatories’ access to a two-year “fast track” supply program for the ammunition.
According to EDA’s chief executive, Jiri Sedivy, the new contracts offer “viable opportunities for member states to place orders with industry through EDA, either to support Ukraine or to replenish their own national stocks.”
The new contracts were signed just months after NATO pledged to spend $1 billion in 2023 on joint procurements for 155 mm ammunition and address allied stockpile shortfall.
EDA’s initial eight-contract procurements for Ukraine involve ammunition for French Caesar, Polish Krab, German Panzerhaubitze 2000 and Slovakian Zuzana self-propelled howitzers. The agency expects to form additional framework contracts for other howitzer systems.