NATO summit to advocate for standardizing shells

NATO is poised to issue its first-ever defence industrial pledge at the upcoming Washington summit on July 10, urging member countries to enhance arms production and adopt stricter standardization of ammunition for battlefield interoperability.

"Ukraine has demonstrated that our standardization was effective on paper but lacking in practice," a NATO official stated anonymously, referencing the global shortage of 155mm artillery rounds amid high demand triggered by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

While NATO enforces standards for small arms ammunition, such as those used in assault rifles, artillery shell standardization has proven more challenging. Despite a NATO standard for artillery ammunition, its voluntary implementation has fragmented the market and disrupted supply chains.

Fourteen NATO nations have opted to deviate from the standard, resulting in different types of 155mm ammunition. Although these varied rounds can be used in all howitzers, operators must input specific shell specifications to avoid significant target inaccuracies, artillery experts noted.

Operators use tables to register shell specifications, but companies often fail to provide comprehensive data—a gap NATO intends to address. NATO also seeks to establish more uniform standards, simplifying and shortening the specification tables.

"A unified NATO round would simplify logistics for military commanders, ensuring compatibility and efficiency across the board," the NATO official explained. "Munitions could be easily transferred and utilized across different units without compatibility concerns."

However, this move may face resistance from munitions manufacturers due to increased competition and potentially lower prices.

In an effort to boost arms production, particularly for critical ammunition like artillery shells and air defence missiles, NATO leaders will commit to annual reporting on their progress towards meeting defence targets and increasing arms production.

Western countries have been urgently replenishing their own arsenals, often neglected since the end of the Cold War, while supplying Ukraine with necessary weaponry. Since 2022, NATO allies have ramped up ammunition production from a few hundred thousand artillery shells annually to an expected two million rounds this year and three million by 2025, the official reported.