RIGA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Latvia on Thursday launched construction of a munitions factory in the central town of Iecava, marking the Baltic state's first move to establish domestic production of key components for modern artillery ammunition, the Defence Ministry said.
The project, referred to as ROLLO in official documents, involves a modular propellant charge manufacturing facility that will produce propellant modules for NATO-standard 155 mm artillery systems. The plant will focus on the assembly, testing and packaging of propellant charges, rather than producing complete artillery rounds.
"The ROLLO project is a strategic step in strengthening the security of Latvia and Europe as a whole," Defence Minister Andris Spruds said at a ceremony marking the start of construction. He said the facility is expected to begin operations in the second half of the year, significantly boosting production capacity for critical ammunition.
The plant is being developed by Latvia's state-controlled defence company Valsts Aizsardzibas Korporacija in cooperation with Finnish-Norwegian defence group Nammo and French-Italian arms manufacturer KNDS.
Once fully operational, the facility is expected to produce around 50,000 modular propellant charges annually, VAK board member Ingrida Kirse told reporters. She said most of the output would be supplied to Latvia's armed forces, with the remainder exported to other NATO countries.
The factory is expected to employ local workers. Raw materials will be supplied by foreign partners.
Kirse said Latvia is providing the bulk of the project's funding, with additional investment coming from the European Union (EU). The general contractor is Latvian construction company UPB Nams, though the Defence Ministry declined to disclose the contract value.
Analysts say the project is part of a broader push by EU and NATO members to expand ammunition production, secure supply chains and reinforce defence capabilities on the alliance's eastern flank amid heightened regional security concerns. ■