Northrop Grumman to produce ammunition in Ukraine amidst new contract

American defense giant Northrop Grumman intends to begin ammunition production on Ukrainian territory, according to information provided by the Ukrainian portal Militarnyj. This is the first contract between the Ukrainian government and the American weapons manufacturer.

According to announcements, the contract includes the production of medium-caliber ammunition. "We are looking to expand that into tank ammo, 155 mm, and others as we find innovative processes," stated Dave Bartell, director of international business relations in the defense systems sector at Northrop.

The agreement between Bartell and Stanley Brown, a representative of the Department of State, was concluded during the Eurosatory arms fair, which took place from June 17 to 21 in Paris, the Ukrainian portal reported on Thursday. Bartell did not present a detailed co-production plan, and Northrop declined to comment.

An American official recalled that under the new Ukraine Defense Enterprises Program, carried out by the Department of State, the Ukrainian armaments industry will receive investments of $2 billion. According to him, this could pave the way for US-Ukrainian cooperation in weapons production.

So far, the United States has supported Ukraine by focusing on the production of American weapons in NATO member companies in Central Europe.

However, in recent months, the US government has increased efforts to cooperate directly with the Ukrainian defense sector. Northrop Grumman Corporation is considered one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and suppliers of military technology. The company also operates in the electronics, IT, shipbuilding, and aviation industries.

In 2023, the United States signed a contract with Northrop Grumman worth $522 million to produce ammunition for Ukraine. It is worth noting that this is not the first contract the Ukrainian government has had with foreign defense companies planning to open their enterprises in Ukraine. In early June, German Rheinmetall confirmed opening a production plant for the Lynx Infantry Fighting Vehicle in the country. The enterprise is to start operations "in the near future" and will produce artillery ammunition.

Additionally, in the same month, the Franco-German manufacturer KNDS and the Ukrainian company KZVV signed a contract to produce 6-inch artillery shells in Ukraine.