The instability across the European continent and the new security architecture it entails compel the EU27 to strengthen their defence industry, in a logic of strategic autonomy and reinforced intra-community partnerships.
For the past three years, KNDS France has adopted a war-economy posture, notably by tripling its large-calibre munition production capacity. In this context, KNDS is ready to support Poland, which has expressed the requirement to produce up to 200,000 155mm shells per year, through a close partnership.
For this purpose, KNDS France and PGZ, together with its subsidiaries, have been engaged in discussions for the past two years to define the most relevant offer to strengthen the Polish Defence Industry and enable it to reach the country’s objectives in artillery shell production.
The KNDS France proposal has one clear objective: to enable a broad transfer of know-how to the Polish industry. The model would place PGZ and its subsidiaries (MESKO, NITRO-CHEM, DEZAMET, GAMRAT) at the heart of the offer, focusing on strengthening existing capabilities rather than proposing an ex-nihilo solution. KNDS France, therefore, foresees a rapid upskilling of the local industrial fabric, from staff training to the installation of additional machine tools, while ensuring immediate operational production capacity through the supply of raw materials, such as shell bodies. Poland would thus reach its full production capacity in less than three years.
The LU211 Combat-Proven Shell
Combat-proven in demanding theatres of operation such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine, the LU211 family of shells has carried out more than 2,500 fire missions in Iraq with the highest level of incident-free firing, delivering over 15,000 rounds during Operation Chammal. In Ukraine, the high consumption of artillery shells has demonstrated the LU211’s relevance, both for its long-range accuracy and for its superior terminal effect in a high-intensity conflict environment.
Deployed on CAESAR systems in theatre since April 2022, the LU211 has proven its worth with several thousand rounds fired per gun by Ukrainian artillery crews. Adaptable to operational needs, this family of shells can be fitted with a hollow base or a base-bleed kit to extend its range. The LU211 can strike targets up to 40 km away, with the best terminal effect in its class.
The LU211 family also includes the LU214, 215, 216 and 217, providing illumination and smoke shells across different spectra. The LU211 is also qualified on K9 and KRAB howitzers, and today stands as the most advanced 155mm artillery shell available on the market.
About KNDS
KNDS is a European land defensesystems leader with more than 10,000employees, 2024 turnover of 3.8 billioneuro, order backlog of around 23.5billion euro and order intake of 11.2billion euro in 2024. As primecontractor and lead system integratorKNDS develop, deliver and sustainstate of the art manned and unmanned‘system-of-systems’, completemission solutions and its mainsystems and sub-platforms, includingthe related ammunitions and services.
KNDS’ product portfolio encompasses mainbattle tanks, armored vehicles, artillerysystems, weapons systems,ammunition, robotics, military bridges,customer services, battlemanagement systems, trainingsolutions, protection solutions and awide range of equipment.
The alliance between Krauss-MaffeiWegmann (now KNDS Deutschland)and Nexter (now KNDS France) hasbeen a step forward in theconsolidation of the land defensesystems industry in Europe. Itpositions KNDS as a key contributor toEuropean sovereignty by meeting theneeds of the respective nationalarmies and offering European andNATO customers the opportunity ofincreased standardization andinteroperability for their defenseequipment, with a dependable andresilient European industrial base.KNDS, as a major international leader,is the trusted partner of dozens ofarmed forces worldwide.
KNDS headquarters are based inAmsterdam.
