On Friday, September 12, 2025, during a visit to Dezamet Metal Works (ZM Dezamet), part of the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), in Nowa Dęba, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the transfer of technology from the British company BAE Systems for the production of 155 mm ammunition in Poland.
Zdjęcie: Kancelaria Premiera
“Poland and the entire world are struck by the growing tension in this region. The war in Ukraine and the drone attack on Polish airspace mean that today we think and talk about nothing else. The most important issues now are national and global security. Since this morning, I have been in contact with the NATO Secretary General. I have received information that we will learn more about NATO’s further actions regarding the eastern flank later today. Today I will announce the results of our actions (…) As for the activities of the prosecutor’s office in connection with recent events — every soldier, both Polish and from allied states, can feel safe in their defensive actions within Polish airspace,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk began his speech at ZM Dezamet, referring to the events of recent days (Airspace Violation Prompts National Security Council Meeting in Poland).
“We are at Dezamet Metal Works S.A. on a significant occasion. Thanks to cooperation with our allies, Dezamet S.A. will have access to state-of-the-art technology, enabling us to increase the production of 155 mm shells radically. This cooperation is only part of a major project. The war in Ukraine has shown how important 155 mm shells are. Within two years, we should reach an annual production level of around 130,000 shells,” explained the Prime Minister.
“The fact that Dezamet S.A. is capable of producing a fairly wide range of shells also results from funding. We have allocated 1.3 billion PLN for investment here in Nowa Dęba alone,” added Donald Tusk, referring to the exact amount of 1,358,000,000 PLN earmarked for expanding the production capacity of 155 mm large-caliber ammunition.
As the Polish Armaments Group reported earlier, the funds will enable the modernization of technical equipment, the upgrading of infrastructure, and the establishment of in-house capabilities for producing large-caliber ammunition shells (Polish Armaments Group has a concept to build three ammunition factories).
“Shell production at Dezamet S.A. is part of Poland’s cooperation with the United Kingdom. I am in constant contact with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. We will also be talking about direct UK support for military assistance in Poland. This means increasing Poland’s defensive capabilities in these critical days. Today’s support in the form of British technology, as well as earlier steps under the EU-funded ASAP program, prepare our defense industry companies to expand their capabilities,” the Prime Minister explained, referring to the EU’s Act in Support of Ammunition Production program (ASAP Program: 2 billion EUR for Europe’s ammunition industry).
The Polish Armaments Group announced that Adam Leszkiewicz, President of the Management Board, signed an agreement on behalf of the Group with BAE Systems for the transfer of large-caliber ammunition production technology. “This is another step in building sovereignty in 155 mm ammunition production,” it was stated.
Photo: PGZ
UPDATE
The Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) has completed the process of selecting a supplier of 155 mm large-caliber ammunition production technology. After reviewing bids and holding direct talks, the decision was made to choose the offer presented by the British company BAE Systems.
The choice of partner aligns with PGZ’s activities aimed at increasing the production capacity of large-caliber ammunition within PGZ’s Ammunition Domain. This domain consists of the following companies: Mesko, Dezamet Metal Works, Bydgoszcz Electromechanical Works, Belma, Nitro-Chem Chemical Works, and Gamrat Special Production Plant.
A multi-stage verification process of offers and negotiations with contractors preceded the final decision on the choice of partner. The analysis took into account a dozen aspects, including three main selection criteria: production sovereignty, technological solutions, and price. The most favorable offer, in terms of these criteria, as well as the security of the state and the future development of PGZ’s Ammunition Domain, turned out to be the one presented by BAE Systems. The BAE Systems offer best met the requirements set in the partner selection process. It is an open-ended agreement with a 40-year termination period.
The selected offer is an innovative solution that enables PGZ to introduce a new product into its portfolio and expand production capacity at individual ammunition plants. Cooperation with BAE Systems will allow PGZ to continue its development toward becoming a key ammunition manufacturer in Europe. It may mark the beginning of a strategic, long-term partnership with Europe’s largest defense company across multiple areas.
“In evaluating the various offers, we placed particular emphasis on achieving production sovereignty and the development potential of PGZ’s Ammunition Domain. Considering that this is an open-ended agreement through which we have been gaining completely new competencies for many years, we analyzed an extensive range of criteria. I am confident that we made the right choice — one that benefits both the future of our Group and our country’s international relations. By taking this decision, we once again show that tangible action is becoming the dominant value of the PGZ 4.0 formula,” stressed PGZ CEO Adam Leszkiewicz.
The choice of BAE Systems’ offer is an important step in strengthening Polish-British bilateral relations in the field of security. In selecting the contractor, not only did the bidder’s experience and the quality of the proposed solutions matter, but also the broader context of international cooperation in security and defense. In this respect, it is worth noting that on December 21, 2017, Poland and the United Kingdom signed the Treaty between the Republic of Poland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Cooperation in the Field of Defense and Security. For years, joint projects have also been successfully implemented in the naval domain as well as in air and missile defense.
Dziś Premier @donaldtusk zakomunikował wielki sukces Polski i polskiego rządu!
⭕️Polska będzie samodzielnym producentem amunicji 155mm
⭕️W ciągu 2 lat możliwości produkcyjne wzrosną do 130 tys sztuk rocznie
⭕️Polska będzie mogła być też eksporterem amunicji
⭕️Produkcja wszystkich…— Cezary Tomczyk (@CTomczyk) September 12, 2025
‼️Mamy porozumienie w sprawie #155mm . Dziś @PGZ_pl podpisała porozumienie z 🇬🇧 firmą @BAESystemsInc jako partnerem technologicznym. Uzyskujemy pełną technologię by produkować jedną najnowocześniejszych amunicji #155mm na świecie mając pełną suwerenność i kontrolę.@MAPGOVPL
— Konrad Gołota (@KonradGolota) September 12, 2025