Ukrainian Defense Industry Producing 122mm Howitzer Shells, First Batch Already Delivered to Army
Ukraine’s conglomerate of state defence enterprises announced on Wednesday that it had set up production of critically important 122mm artillery shells abroad, with the first batch already shipped to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Defence Industry, a joint stock company formerly known as Ukroboronprom in Ukrainian, said that the production had been launched in partnership with an undisclosed NATO country.
Following the 120mm mortar shell and the 125mm tank shell, it is the third type of ammunition manufactured with Ukrainian technology and involvement of Ukrainian experts at facilities abroad, the company said in a statement.
122mm projectiles are needed for D-30 trailed howitzers and 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, which are now widely used by the Ukrainian army in their fight with Russian occupying forces.
The production, ordered by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, was preceded by factory tests, which confirmed the necessary tactical and technical characteristics of the projectiles, including strength of the casing, stability of the equipment, maximum range, consistency check, and projectile burst.
"It is characteristic that the number of fragments significantly exceeds that of the standard ‘Soviet’ model," Ukrainian Defence Industry emphasised in the statement.
Earlier this year, the company had announced the start of mass production of 82mm fragmentation mines and 125-mm tanks shells, both abroad for security considerations.