Thread by @virtaava

How to speed up the delivery of artillery shells to Ukraine 1/11

Joint purchasing: The European Union is considering pooling its resources to order and purchase up to one million shells for Ukraine, which is similar to the approach used to secure vaccines early in the Covid-19 pandemic. 2/11

This method encourages arms manufacturers to invest in new production lines now for the standardized products that Ukraine needs desperately. 3/11

Direct ordering: Instead of going through the bureaucracy of procuring the ammunition through Brussels, it would be far better and faster to give Ukrainians the money and tell them to order the ammunition they need directly. 4/11

This would allow them to order the ammunition they need without delays caused by bureaucratic processes. 5/11

Removing political restrictions: The European Union and member states could help by getting rid of complicating political restrictions like export licenses for arms shipments to Ukraine, which are intended to prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands, and climate… 6/11

…and other regulations on ammunition production. This would help speed up the delivery of ammunition to Ukraine.

Easing the NATO certification process for new artillery shells: revising its certification regulations for certain guns and shells. 7/11

Currently, regulations in countries like Germany prohibit the use of uncertified shells in their howitzers, citing safety concerns. 8/11

However, easing these restrictions could also benefit manufacturers who produce shells for specific guns, akin to printer cartridges designed for particular printers. 9/11

According to Camille Grand, a former NATO assistant secretary general for defense investment, NATO estimates that 80 percent of 155-millimeter shells can be used in any Western gun, despite the existing restrictive certifications. 10/11

Therefore, by revising these regulations, NATO could improve the availability and timeliness of shells, especially during times of urgent need.
#NATO #EuropeanUnion #artillery
nytimes.com/2023/03/08/wor… 11/11