The new Rheinmetall plant in Unterluess, Germany, has manufactured a "five-digit number" of 155 mm artillery shells for Ukraine in less than a year. In 2027, the facility plans to reach a capacity of 350,000 munitions per year, Defense Express reports, citing Rheinmetall, writes UNN.
Details
The facility in Lower Saxony was officially opened on August 27, 2025, following record-fast construction that lasted just 15 months. The first batch of shells for Ukraine manufactured at the new plant was reported in July 2026 — at the time, it was described as a "low five-digit number."
Overall, since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has received hundreds of thousands of 155 mm munitions from various Rheinmetall production sites.
Production to be increased to 350,000 shells
In 2026, the Unterluess facility is expected to manufacture a total of 140,000 155 mm shells. The following year, the plant is planned to be brought to its full design capacity of 350,000 munitions annually.
The facility's products include RH1412 long-range 155 mm shells. Such munitions remain in short supply — Rheinmetall previously estimated its own production capacity at approximately 100,000 units per year.
At the same time, Rheinmetall plans to build an artillery ammunition plant directly in Ukraine. However, implementation of the project has been delayed, and the expected start of operations has already been pushed back from 2026 to 2027.