The large-scale re-equipment of Europe's defenses is taking tangible forms. According to the Financial Times, the area of new and expanding military production facilities in Europe has reached 7 million square meters, which is three times more than before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. These conclusions are based on the analysis of more than a thousand satellite images provided by the European Space Agency (ESA), which cover the activities of 37 defense concerns.
The growth driver was the European Union's ASAP (Act in Support of Ammunition Production) initiative, launched to increase production of ammunition and missiles in response to the depletion of NATO stocks. The program has already had a significant effect: at 88 key sites, the building area has grown from 790,000 m2 in 2020-2021 to 2.8 million m2 in 2024-2025.
The largest projects:
Hungary: Rheinmetall, together with N7 Holding, is building a large-scale factory that will produce 1.1 million 155 mm shells per year by 2027, compared with 70,000 in 2022. It will become one of the largest artillery production facilities in Europe.
- Norway: Kongsberg has opened a new factory for the production of missiles, including anti-ship and anti-aircraft systems.
- Finland: Nammo expands facilities at the Vihtavuori test site to increase production of ammunition and solid-fuel engines.
- United Kingdom: BAE Systems has increased production of 155 mm shells 16 times in recent years.
The European Commission is preparing a new program designed to complement ASAP and stimulate the production of not only ammunition, but also missiles, drones, and air and missile defense systems. This is necessary to restore strategic reserves and ensure the long-term sustainability of Europe's defense.
This industrial renewal marks a fundamental shift: Europe is moving from decades of cutting military spending to a strategy of mass and sustainable weapons production, preparing for possible future crises.
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