ASAP: EU strengthens ammunition production capacity in Norway

The European Commission welcomes tangible progress achieved under the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) programme, following a site visit to Chemring Nobel's production facilities in Norway.

On 21 October 2025, a delegation from the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS) carried out an on-site assessment of the implementation of three ASAP projects coordinated by Chemring Nobel, where major construction milestones have been completed and key production equipment successfully installed, with a view to increasing its production capacity. The visit provided first-hand confirmation of the substantial progress achieved with EU support and underscored the programme's key role in accelerating delivery timelines across the European defence industry.

Chemring Nobel was awarded €66.7 million in EU financial support to more than double its explosives production capacity. This investment forms part of the coordinated European effort to strengthen ammunition, gunpowder and explosives manufacturing capacities across the Union and associated partners.

The ASAP programme addresses critical bottlenecks in the ammunition supply chain by funding projects that boost the production of gunpowder and propellants, explosives, shells, testing capacities and missiles. ASAP-funded projects directly contribute to the European objective of achieving an annual production capacity of 2 million 155 mm artillery shells.

The Commission remains firmly committed to ensuring that EU financial support is swiftly translated into operational capabilities on the ground and to closely monitoring the timely and effective implementation of EU defence industrial projects across Member States and associated countries.