The South African National Conventional Arms Control Committee’s decision to indefinitely put on hold the approval of an export permit to Poland has resulted in that European country cancelling its order for 155 mm artillery ammunition with Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM).
Polish publication Rzeczpospolita on 21 August reported that after years of delay, the Polish government cancelled its artillery contract with Rheinmetall and is instead looking to establish its own artillery munitions production.
Poland, like many other countries, became acutely aware of its limited stocks of 155 mm ammunition following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and contracted Rheinmetall to deliver about 50 000 shells. The Polish Ministry of Defence told Rzeczpospolita that the contract was withdrawn on 20 July 2023 “due to problems related to the implementation of the contract by the subcontractor”, which was Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) based in South Africa.
“The deliveries of ammunition to Poland were blocked – more or less directly – by the government of the Republic of South Africa, fearing that it could be sent further, to Ukraine. After all, South Africa is closer to Russia, with which it is, among other things, in the BRICS alliance, than to Ukraine,” Rzeczpospolita reported.
Poland is now looking to procure shells locally and in December 2023 signed a $2.75 billion contract for nearly 300 000 155 mm artillery shells with the PGZ-Amunicja consortium under a framework contract signed in June last year for the purchase of up to one million shells of various types and calibres until 2029. Deliveries of nearly 300 000 155 mm artillery shells are scheduled for 2024-2029.
The programme provides for the creation and further support of domestic production capacities, for local consumption and export. The PGZ-Amunicja group of companies that will jointly produce ammunition for the Polish military includes Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa, Zakłady Metalowe Dezamet, Mesko, Zakłady Chemiczne Nitro-Chem, Zakład Produkcji Specjalnej Gamrat and Bydgoskie Zakłady Elektromechaniczne Belma.
In 2022, the National Conventional Arms Control Committee’s (NCACC’s) Ezra Jele revealed that one permit for Poland worth R893 million was on hold. Last year when briefing Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Jele did not give a clear indication why the Polish permit was on hold, as there are no United Nations Security Council embargos on Poland, but he did mention that diversion was a concern – presumably that weapons to Poland would be sent to Ukraine.
African Defence Review Director Darren Olivier said it was frustrating that the NCACC (supported by the Directorate for Conventional Arms Control) didn’t actually deny the permit, which would have required providing a clear reason, but put it on indefinite hold – “which is really a denial.”
He earlier said it was against the spirit of the law to hold permits for so long and not deny or approve them, unless the applicant is provided with a clear and reasonable set of requirements to be met. “If there’s no likelihood of a permit being approved within a few months it’s better for everyone that it be denied,” he told defenceWeb.
The NCACC has also put some export permits to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates on hold, causing much frustration and lost income for South Africa’s defence industry.
