(Quebec) A shell that proved crucial in the Ukrainian war is manufactured in a Quebec factory, but its production has not increased one iota since the start of the Russian invasion, to the dismay of many actors in the military world.
“It’s probably the most popular military commodity on the planet right now. All allies using the 155mm shell are currently seeking 155mm shells. Why is there no urgency to increase production? asked, incredulously, Conservative MP Pat Kelly during a recent meeting of the Standing Committee on National Defense.
On the Ukrainian battlefields, this shell produced by several allied countries – and in particular at least one Quebec factory – is highly sought after. It’s not the most sophisticated or precise and others have greater range, like the Excalibur. But its relatively low cost makes it a weapon of choice.
The Ukrainians fire between 6,000 and 8,000 155mm shells every day. The Russians responded with 40,000 artillery shots, according to a Ukrainian MP cited by the Associated Press.
To supply Kyiv, NATO allies therefore drew on their reserves. The caliber of 155 mm is the Atlantic standard. Canada has supplied Ukraine with 40,000 of these shells since February 2022, barely enough to fuel Ukrainian gunners for a week.
The allies also decided to increase production of this shell. The United States wants to increase its production from 20,000 per month to 95,000 by 2025.
3000 shells per month
In Canada, National Defense obtains these powerful rounds from General Dynamics Defense Products and Tactical Systems-Canada (GD-OTS). The company employs 1,200 people in its three factories in Repentigny, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, near Quebec.
The manufacturer does not specify which, or which, of its Quebec factories produce the projectile. But GD-OTS Canada produces 3,000 155 mm shells per month, all in Quebec, if we are to believe the words of the Chief of Defense Staff, Wayne Eyre.
General Eyre told the Standing Committee on National Defense last week that Canadian production had not increased at all since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, much to his chagrin.
“We have not produced an additional round of ammunition in this country since February 2022. So yes, that worries me a lot,” General Eyre told the elected members of the committee.
PHOTO SPENCER COLBY, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
The Canadian Chief of Staff, General Wayne Eyre
If we want to ensure that we support Ukraine in the long term, accelerating the production of artillery shells is extremely important.
General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Canadian General Staff
“At all the NATO Chiefs of Staff meetings I attend, all the allies talk about this problem, and with good reason,” added the senior soldier. We are all looking at ways to increase production. This is becoming more and more worrying, as we notice that the Russians are reconstituting themselves more quickly than we had anticipated. »
Industry holds Ottawa accountable
How can we explain that the production of 155 mm shells has not increased in the Quebec factories of GD-OTS Canada when the Ukrainian ally is clamoring for them? The arms manufacturer did not wish to answer questions from The Pressneither does the employees’ union.
But according to the association which represents the Canadian military industry, Ottawa is slow to grant firm contracts to Canadian manufacturers to increase production.
“We are not on a war footing. Our industries have not been put on a war footing through firm orders from government,” Christyn Cianfarani, president of the Canadian Defense and Security Industries Association (CDISA) told the Standing Committee on Tuesday. National Defense.
The AICDS indicates that increasing production requires significant investments amortized over 15 or 20 years. However, Ottawa is slow to sign such long contracts which would make it possible to increase the pace, accused Mme Cianfarani.
A more efficient variant
But the quantity of 155 mm shells produced in Quebec GD-OTS factories is not the only issue. Ottawa would like these factories to produce an even more popular variant of the 155 mm. For years, Canada has produced the M107 variant. The war in Ukraine has highlighted the effectiveness of the M795 variant, which is the one used by the United States.
“I had the opportunity to visit this munitions factory [à Repentigny], as well as that of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, in the fall of 2022. This factory produces the M107, with a shorter range than the shell we would like it to produce, that is to say the M795 . Work continues in this regard,” General Eyre declared last May.
General Dynamics produces 155mm M795 shells at its factories in the United States. This variant has a range of 22.5 km compared to 17.5 km for the M107, according to the American company’s website.
But modifying the production lines of Quebec factories to produce this variant will probably require considerable sums. National Defense says it is in talks with GD-OTS Canada, which has 16 lobbyists registered on the federal register, including its director general, René Blouin.
“Increasing production by 155 mm is a long process that requires investment. There are discussions at the moment to improve production, but it is not an easy adjustment,” admitted Deputy Minister of National Defense Bill Matthews last week.
Without the West, Ukraine would only have “one week to live”, according to Putin
PHOTO GRIGORY SYSOYEV, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday in Valdai
Russian President Vladimir Putin estimated Thursday that Ukraine would only have “a week to live” without deliveries of Western weapons, on which Kyiv depends for its military effort. “When weapons stocks [occidentales livrées à l’Ukraine] will be exhausted, they will only have a week to live,” Mr. Putin declared at the Valdai international forum, estimating that stocks “are also running out in Europe.”
France Media Agency