Sweden needs to purchase artillery ammunition for both its own use and to be able to send to Ukraine, but the capacity of the factories needs to increase for this purpose, said the Swedish Minister of Defense, Pål Jonson on SVT.
"We have great Archer installations, but they don't matter if there are no ammunition to fire," the minister noted.
According to Jonson, Sweden should support Ukraine with artillery ammunition while simultaneously increasing its own reserves.
"It's a complex situation," he said.
Currently, efforts are underway to negotiate an agreement that would provide Sweden with access to the necessary ammunition.
According to the ammunition manufacturer Nammo, which has factories in Sweden, delivery times for ammunition currently range up to six years.
In addition to increasing its own reserves, Sweden needs to be able to purchase new projectiles in the event of a conflict. According to Pål Jonson, it is important for ammunition production facilities in Scandinavia to increase their capacities.
Nammo claims that it cannot increase production without significant external investments.
"Money for this is available in the EU. They expect partial investments from us," the minister stated.
The Defense Materiel Administration, responsible for negotiations, asserts that "intensive work is being done to increase production capacities and availability of artillery ammunition in Sweden and Scandinavian countries."
