Unexpected US deal with a NATO country friendly to Putin: Russia receives a heavy blow

Russia’s two-year war in Ukraine has sparked a surge in global demand for munitions, with Western allies supplying Kiev while replenishing their own depleted stockpiles.

Now the United States will strike an unexpected deal with Putin-friendly NATO country Turkey to buy explosives from Ankara, which will become America’s largest seller of artillery shells. Undoubtedly, the deal is a heavy blow to Russia.

The US is in talks to step up purchases of explosives from Turkey to boost production of artillery shells as allies scramble to deliver badly needed ammunition to Ukraine, according to Bloomberg.

Turkish supplies of trinitrotoluene, known as TNT, and nitroguanidine, which is used as a propellant, would be crucial in the production of NATO’s standard 155mm ammunition – potentially tripling production, according to officials familiar with the talks. Turkey is already on track to become the largest seller of artillery shells to the US as early as this year.

A small NATO country in danger because of Putin: It’s only a matter of time before a new conflict

The surge in demand has led to a backlog of global orders and put pressure on defense supply chains, particularly components such as TNT, the officials said on condition of anonymity.

The deal with Ankara also reveals a delicate balance between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies, whose relations have been strained by Russia’s invasion and Turkey’s months-long blockade of Sweden joining the military alliance.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to visit the White House on May 9, 2024 for the first time since President Joe Biden took office, as the two mended military ties. Turkey’s approval of Sweden’s NATO membership this year paved the way for Washington to sign off on a $23 billion sale of US-made F-16 warplanes, missiles and bombs to Ankara.

The discovery of doctors in the US that turns everything upside down: A glass of a drink a day keeps the heart healthy

The munitions partnership would build on that. In late February, the Pentagon said it had contracted General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems to build three industrial lines to manufacture the 155 mm projectiles in Texas, including with Turkish subcontractors. The Mesquite, Texas, plant is scheduled to begin production in June, the company said.

Turkish defense firm Repkon’s production lines will produce about 30 percent of all 155 mm artillery shells made in the U.S. by 2025, experts said. In addition, the Department of Defense has purchased 116,000 combat-ready shells from Arca Defense of Turkey for delivery this year, with further purchases expected for delivery soon next year.

In a statement on Texas investment and Turkish industry, the Pentagon said that working with allies “is key to building a global defense industrial base.”

Putin’s military move that alerts NATO: It would be the sign of a strike against Europe

The US and European efforts are part of a race to catch up with Moscow, whose war machine has put it in a position to produce or procure – by some estimates – 4 million shells this year, including shipments from North Korea. In contrast, the European Union expects to triple its production of artillery shells this year to around 1.4 million units.

As major defense companies and smaller suppliers begin ramping up production, U.S. and European munitions output is expected to rise significantly next year and the year after, Western officials say.

But that depends in part on the US Congress approving more than $60 billion for Ukraine, currently blocked by House Republicans demanding concessions on migration. The U.S. Army aims to produce 100,000 155mm shells per month by the end of 2025, which won’t be possible without the funds, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said in late February.