WB Group to start 155 mm shell production in 2026

Three 155 mm artillery shells seen at WB Group premises in Poland in December 2025, at the announcement that the company would start manufacturing them. (Jakub Link-Lenczowski)

Poland's WB Group has begun developing 155 mm artillery ammunition, the company announced on 11 December.

The group's CEO, Piotr Wojciechowski, said at the announcement that projectiles have already undergone initial trials, which have proved promising, adding that the company will be ready for serial production by December 2026.

Janes has learnt that WB Group had already mastered production from the initial processing of steel forgings from local suppliers, and is currently testing inert rounds.

As the group revealed, an ammunition assembly centre has been established in western Poland. This will enable the storage of large quantities of explosives as well as the production and storage of finished 155 mm rounds.

Two types of ammunition will be manufactured: high-explosive hollow base (HE-HB) and high-explosive base bleed (HE-BB), according to WB Group.

Wojciechowski said the fuzes are sourced from an external supplier, while discussions regarding propellent charges are under way with two suppliers in Europe. Meanwhile, gas generators have been developed and tested on a test bench, he added.

The certification process is scheduled to be completed in September 2026, while 5,000–10,000 rounds are to be delivered by the end of 2026. Full-scale serial production is expected to be launched in 2027 and is expected to reach between 50,000 and 100,000 rounds annually, the company said.

Wojciechowski said the certification process is being conducted along two parallel tracks, in Poland and abroad, with the intention that WB Group will be able to offer its ammunition globally.