Estonia to launch explosives factory in regional rush for ammunition

WARSAW, Poland — Seeking higher domestic ammunition production capacities, the Estonian government has approved a project to build a plant that will make RDX-type explosives.

The investment is considered as key for the country’s plans to boost its 155mm artillery ammunition production capabilities, but also for exporting explosives to other countries facing shortages across the region, according to senior officials.

Estonia’s authorities have authorized the Ministry of Finance to set up a new company, Hexest AS, that is to be established in the coming weeks. The business will operate the designed RDX production facility, and it “will be handed over to the Ministry of Defence in up to six months,” the government said in a statement.

RDX is a highly energetic explosive chemical compound commonly used in military applications.

“There is a shortage of explosives production capacity in Europe, so building new capacity is essential to ensure security of supply for companies in Estonia and the wider region,” said Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur. “The explosives plant will make Estonia more attractive as a location for the defense industry.”

The state will initially own all the company’s shares, but Tallinn plans to involve a strategic investor for the plant in the future.

Meanwhile, the Estonian government is also readying to accommodate new ammunition plants. The cabinet is currently making efforts to settle domestic and foreign manufacturers of weapons, ammunition and equipment in different locations, among others at the defense industry park in Ämari.

“In addition to the ‘mini defense industry park’ in Ämari, we are also developing a national defense industry park, for which we also do not set limits on production, allowing the production of 155mm shells among other products,” a spokesperson for the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) told Defense News.

“It is up to defense companies to come up with production projects. The government will provide a conducive environment,” the spokesperson said.

Under the plan, the ECDI will host public tenders to select investors this year.

“The establishment of an explosives plant in Estonia will be a strong added value for the Defence Industrial Park and the ammunition producers that will be operating there,” said Pevkur.

Production activities at the RDX factory in Ämari are expected to begin in 2028.

As part of the project, an initial contribution of up to €7.2 million ($8.2 million) will “cover the costs of the technical design and preparatory activities. The technical design will take about a year to complete and the final investment decision will be based on its results,” the government statement said.

Earlier this year, the Estonian military received the first batch of Caesar 155mm self-propelled howitzers it ordered from KNDS.

Tallinn purchased 12 units in June 2024, with an option to order a further six. The howitzers will be part of Estonia’s newly established 3rd self-propelled artillery battalion operating under the command of the Estonian Division, the main combat unit of the country’s land forces.

In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a number of Eastern European allies have intensified efforts to develop their domestic ammunition production capacities, often seeking partnerships with major foreign groups.

In Lithuania, Rheinmetall is advancing a project to build a plant where it will make 155mm artillery ammunition. The plant in Baisogala is to launch operations in mid-2026. As part of the investment worth around €180 million, some 150 jobs are to be created locally.

Giedrimas Jeglinskas, the chairman of the Lithuanian parliament’s Committee on National Security and Defence, told Defense News that Vilnius aims to attract more defense industry players , and is determined to support potential investors with various types of assistance, including financial aid.

In Poland, the country’s authorities have allocated around 3 billion zloty ($798 million) to fund investments in expanding the nation’s ammunition production capacities, with a particular focus on 155mm artillery shells. The funds are to be provided to producers who will carry out projects in ramping up Poland-based ammunition manufacturing capacities.

Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.

波兰华沙——为了提高国内弹药生产能力，爱沙尼亚政府批准了一项建设RDX型炸药生产厂的项目。

据高级官员称，这项投资对于该国提高 155 毫米炮弹生产能力的计划至关重要，同时也对于向该地区其他面临炸药短缺的国家出口炸药至关重要。

爱沙尼亚当局已授权财政部成立一家名为Hexest AS的新公司，该公司将在未来几周内成立。政府在一份声明中表示，该公司将运营已设计的RDX生产设施，“将在最多六个月内移交给国防部”。

RDX是一种高能爆炸性化学化合物，常用于军事用途。

爱沙尼亚国防部长汉诺·佩夫库尔表示：“欧洲炸药产能短缺，因此建设新的产能对于确保爱沙尼亚及周边地区企业的供应安全至关重要。这座炸药厂将使爱沙尼亚对国防工业更具吸引力。”

国家最初将拥有该公司所有股份，但塔林计划未来为该工厂引入战略投资者。

与此同时，爱沙尼亚政府也在积极筹备新的弹药厂入驻。目前，内阁正努力将国内外武器、弹药和装备制造商安置在不同地点，其中包括位于阿马里的国防工业园区。

爱沙尼亚国防投资中心 (ECDI) 的一位发言人告诉《防务新闻》：“除了阿马里 (Ämari) 的‘迷你国防工业园’外，我们还在开发一个国家级国防工业园，我们同样没有限制其产量，允许生产 155 毫米炮弹等产品。”

发言人表示：“国防企业需要提出生产项目，政府将提供有利环境。”

根据该计划，ECDI今年将举行公开招标，遴选投资者。

佩夫库尔表示：“在爱沙尼亚建立一家炸药厂，将为国防工业园区和在那里运营的弹药生产商带来巨大的附加值。”

位于阿马里的 RDX 工厂的生产活动预计将于 2028 年开始。

政府声明称，作为该项目的一部分，高达720万欧元（820万美元）的初始资金将“用于支付技术设计和准备活动的费用。技术设计大约需要一年时间才能完成，最终的投资决定将基于其结果。”

今年早些时候，爱沙尼亚军方收到了从 KNDS 公司订购的第一批凯撒 155 毫米自行榴弹炮。

塔林于2024年6月购买了12门榴弹炮，并拥有再订购6门的选择权。这些榴弹炮将编入爱沙尼亚新成立的第3自行火炮营，该营隶属于爱沙尼亚师，爱沙尼亚师是该国陆军的主要作战单位。

在俄罗斯入侵乌克兰之后，一些东欧盟国加大了发展本国弹药生产能力的力度，并经常寻求与外国大型集团建立合作关系。

莱茵金属公司正在立陶宛推进一个项目，计划建设一座生产155毫米炮弹的工厂。该工厂位于拜索加拉，预计将于2026年中期投产。作为一项价值约1.8亿欧元的投资项目的一部分，当地将创造约150个就业岗位。

立陶宛议会国家安全与国防委员会主席吉德里马斯·耶格林斯卡斯告诉《防务新闻》，维尔纽斯的目标是吸引更多国防工业参与者，并决心通过各种类型的援助（包括财政援助）来支持潜在投资者。

波兰政府已拨款约30亿兹罗提（约合7.98亿美元）用于投资扩大该国的弹药生产能力，重点是155毫米炮弹。这笔资金将提供给生产商，用于实施提升波兰弹药生产能力的项目。

Jaroslaw Adamowski 是《防务新闻》驻波兰记者。