From The War Zone, May 12:
We talk to a major U.S. artillery shell maker about how ongoing conflicts have severely strained the global supply of critical explosive compounds.
As a large supplier of 155mm and 152mm artillery shells, Sarasota, Florida-based Global Ordnance requires tons of trinitrotoluene (TNT) for the explosives in its warheads and nitrocellulose to make the propellants that launch those shells. In addition, there is a tremendous need for TNT by commercial mining companies. However, the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have caused major shortages of both of these essential chemical compounds. Complicating matters further, the U.S. has not produced its own TNT for decades.
During the recently concluded SOF Week conference in Tampa, we spoke with Johnny Summers, vice president of energetics for Global Ordnance, about the shortages and their effect on the ability to produce enough artillery shells to meet U.S. and NATO needs.
Some questions and answers were lightly edited for clarity.
Q: Tell us about the effects of the ongoing shortage of TNT.
A: We had a procurement contract with Zarya in Ukraine to bring material to the U.S. for U.S. government contracts and commercial customers. We had brought 2,000 metric tons of that material to the U.S., part for the U.S. government and part for commercial sales, until the war kicked off in 2022, and immediately that factory was behind enemy lines and is out of capacity production since. So we’ve been working to try to replace that for our customers over that period of time, due to the expanding need for TNT, due to multiple conflicts, both in Israel and in Ukraine. TNT has been a huge requirement. To that point, the U.S. government has recently issued a contract to establish a TNT manufacturing facility in Kentucky. That’s actually a program that our company bid on, and we weren’t awarded that contract. So we’re continuing to work with suppliers around the world to be able to locate TNT for our customers.
Q: Now, where are you looking for TNT, given the global competition?
A: A lot of people are looking for it, and there’s a lot of capacity from banned locations. So China is offering TNT around the world, and we get offered it one or two times a week from various brokers that approach us. We’re not allowed to procure that TNT from China, so we don’t, thank you very much. We’re looking at other sources in other countries. I don’t want it to divulge too much at this point, but we are in negotiations with a couple of other factories in other countries that aren’t on the banned list, where we can potentially bring in TNT, both for the U.S. government and for our commercial customers.
Q: What are your commercial customers saying?
A: Before the war kicked off, there were two price ranges for TNT. There were the commercial prices, and then there were government prices. And they were fairly decently apart. We were selling the same TNT from Zarya, but the U.S. government wanted it tested and packaged differently so they get a different price. And it has to come on a U.S.-flagged vessel, which triples the price of shipping compared to your commercial customers. But now the commercial market is having to pay the same price as the government customers for that TNT, and it’s gone up probably fourfold in the last four years.
Q: What’s the price point on that?
A: If you’re selling to a U.S. government customer, on U.S.-flagged vessels, we’re talking about $20 a pound.
Q: And for commercial customers?
A: A little bit less, because we don’t have to use U.S.-flagged vessels, but the TNT itself is just as expensive.
Q: What’s the ratio between the need for TNT for the U.S. government and commercial companies?....
....MUCH MORE
If interested see also:
"‘We haven’t got this figured out just yet’: Pentagon, industry struggle to arm Ukraine"
"Ukraine Has Received Over A Million Artillery Rounds From The U.S."
That's a lot of artillery shells. You have to think China is watching this immense drawdown in capability thinking the U.S. will soon be in the position Russia is approaching: having to choose between using rocks or nukes, with not much in-between.
Canada has already run out of shells to provide Ukraine and are asking South Korea to help refill the armories. I believe the same is true for a couple of the other NATO members as well
"As Much As You Ever Wanted To Know About 155mm Artillery Shell Production and More"
Here's A Litany Of Horrors That Say It Is Time To Rebuild The American Industrial Base. NOW.
And recently on the business of boom:
"Pakistan has artillery to fight only for 4 days: Report"
You Understand The United States Is Not Capable Of Defending Taiwan In The Event Of A Chinese Invasion, Right?
