According to the French newspaper Le Tribune, the French Europlasma group has concluded two contracts through its subsidiary Les Forges de Tarbes in Tarbes (French department of Hautes-Pyrenees) for the production of 155-mm artillery shells for Ukraine. On June 13, 2023, a contract was signed with one of the structures of the Ukroboronprom Group for the supply of 60 thousand shells to it in 2024, and on July 17 - for the supply of another 360 thousand shells, 120 thousand annually during 2026-2028. The cost and source of financing of the contracts were not disclosed.
The hulls of 155 mm LU211 artillery shells manufactured by Les Forges de Tarbes of the French Europlasma group. Tarbes (France), June 2023 (c) Alain Gastal / Radio France
The equipment and equipment of the shells supplied by Les Forges de Tarbes from Tarbes is carried out by Nexter Arrowtech (French Nexter group) in La Chapelle-Saint-Jurcin (Cher department), where the shells will be completed for delivery to Ukraine.
The Les Forges de Tarbes factory in Tarbes had previously been a large arsenal for the production of guns and ammunition of the French army since 1871, but in 2006 it almost ceased military production in private status. In the next 15 years, most of the site of the former arsenal was sold off and developed for development projects. Nevertheless, in recent decades, the plant has remained almost the only manufacturer of 155-mm shells in France, although orders from the French Ministry of Defense were extremely insignificant. In 2020, the plant, which went bankrupt and has already survived several changes of owners, was acquired by the Europlasma group, which began its revival. Initially, Europlasma planned to specialize it in civilian products, but in 2022, the outbreak of war in Ukraine renewed the demand for military products of the enterprise. Already in May 2022, an undisclosed customer (apparently, the same Ukraine) issued Les Forges de Tarbes a contract for the production of 6000 cases of 155-mm shells, completed within a year. In October 2022, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, which came to its senses, issued an order for 30 thousand shells worth 8 million euros with delivery by 2024.
As a result, the management of the Europlasma group decided in the autumn of 2022 to dramatically expand the production of shell casings in Tarbes, investing about 15 million euros for this over three years. For the whole of 2022, the Tarba plant produced 8089 shell casings. At the beginning of 2023, the plant produced 650 shells per month, but by April it had increased production to 2500 shells per month, and in June it was announced that it was possible to produce 5000 shells per month. It is assumed that in 2024 the production of buildings will be increased to 120 thousand per year, and in 2025 - to 160 thousand per year. In the spring of 2023, 38 people were employed at the plant, and by 2025 their number should be increased to 60 people.
Now the plant in Tarbes produces shells for one type of projectile - the 155-mm high-explosive projectile of improved aerodynamics LU211, developed by GIAT Industries (now Nexter group) specifically for firing 155-mm guns with a barrel length of 52 caliber, primarily from the French self-propelled howitzers CAESAR. The LU211 projectile was adopted by the French army back in 1999 and is now the main type of projectile for CAESAR.
Europlasma CEO Jerome Garnache-Crayo said in April that in order to increase the production of shell casings in Tarbes, the production of casings of old American 155-mm M107 shells will also be mastered, which are easier to manufacture and cheaper than LU211 shell casings.
Production of 155 mm LU211 artillery shells at Les Forges de Tarbes of the French Europlasma group. Tarbes (France), 2023 (c) Rémi Benoit and Lionel Bonaventure
