Norway commits 5 billion NOK to boost Ukraine's artillery effort
Norway will allocate 5 billion Norwegian kroner to support Ukraine in the area of artillery ammunition. The majority of the funds will be directed toward a Czech-led ammunition initiative, with the remainder focused on enhancing European production capacity. Here's how the money will be spent.
Norway has committed to providing 5 billion NOK to support Ukraine in the field of artillery ammunition. Of this amount, 4 billion NOK will go to the initiative led by the Czech Republic, and 1 billion NOK will go to the European Peace Facility (EPF). Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre emphasized that Ukraine needs a steady supply of ammunition to continue its fight for freedom against the Russian invasion.
Support for Ukraine will be discussed during Prime Minister Støre's meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels. The new allocation is part of a joint financial initiative led by the EU. Norway has previously supported the Czech initiative, and these funds aim to increase the quantity and predictability of ammunition supplies by 2025.
This new allocation is part of the recently announced increase in Norwegian support for Ukraine, which amounts to 50 billion NOK for 2025. The increase aligns with an agreement reached between all political parties in the Storting and the Norwegian government in March of this year.
Artillery shells — the primary weapon in Ukraine
Artillery continues to be the god of war in Ukraine. It now benefits from drones for enhanced observation and significantly faster reaction times due to live information relays within C4I communication systems.
Mass-produced conventional shells remain the primary weapon despite technological advancements, as their design has not changed for decades. There are indeed advanced solutions like Bonus or SMArt 155 that can independently search for and guide themselves to targets, but they make up only a fraction of the thousands of shells used daily.
Production and performance of budget artillery shells
Basic artillery shells are essentially a cast casing with a threaded tip filled with molten TNT or another explosive material. They are then painted and packed on pallets, with fuses held separately.
These screw-in fuses are simple impact devices that trigger an explosion upon ground contact. However, more advanced options are available, causing explosions in the air and significantly increasing the impact area. Some modules like the M1156A1 PGK convert ordinary shells into guided ones, offering a much lower cost than shells like the M982 Excalibur or Vulcano GLR.
The widely used M107 155 mm shell contains 14.5 lbs of TNT, while newer solutions like the DM121 can contain 20-22 kg of TNT or similar explosive materials. These enable targeting up to distances of approximately 14 miles for artillery systems with 39-caliber-long barrels (M109) or up to 19-20 miles for guns with 52-caliber-long barrels like the DITA or Krab.
Moreover, slightly more expensive shells equipped with a base burner, which generates gases to reduce base drag during flight, are characterized by an increased range of about 30%.
