Successful Test of PGO S.A.’s 155 mm Artillery Projectile Body

This was the news the entire Polish defence industry had been waiting for. The first range test of the first Polish 155 mm artillery projectile body has been completed successfully. The test was carried out at the facilities of the Military Institute of Armament Technology, WITU, in Zielonka. This marks an extremely important stage in the cooperation between PGO S.A. and WITU in the context of Poland’s military security and the development of domestic ammunition manufactured independently of foreign licences.

“During the tests, the prepared projectile bodies were detonated in order to confirm the material characteristics and key technological assumptions. The results obtained are satisfactory. They enabled us to positively verify part of the design guidelines, which means we are ready to move on to the next phase of testing, involving firing from a 155 mm howitzer,” says Colonel Piotr Ruliński, Head of the Ballistics and Unmanned Systems Centre at the Military Institute of Armament Technology.

Two Material Variants

The production of artillery ammunition has long been identified as one of the most urgent challenges facing the Polish defence sector, while the needs — as demonstrated by the war in Ukraine — are substantial. PGO S.A., together with WITU, is responding to these expectations. The joint innovative project involves the development of documentation, technology and projectile design, as well as the manufacture of projectile bodies in various material configurations while maintaining ballistic identity and using the same firing tables.

The developed rounds are expected to achieve a range of 30 km with a base cavity and over 40 km with a base bleed unit, and to contain approximately 10 kg of explosive material. They will be compatible with both Krab and K9 howitzers.

“We are encouraged by the results of the range test and motivated to continue intensive work on 155 mm artillery projectile bodies, as well as the 120 mm mortar projectile bodies we offer. The detonation trial was based on projectile bodies manufactured using cast steel technology, but we also plan to test forged components produced at Kuźnia Glinik. This approach allows for greater flexibility and the decentralisation of the ammunition production process in the event of a crisis situation or problems in the supply chain for input materials. Importantly, PGO has developed a unique material alloy in an advanced heat, chemical and mechanical treatment process, which means that we can rapidly launch production of the tested projectile body,” says Andrzej Bulanowski, Vice-President of PGO S.A. for Sales.

As part of the development of dedicated cast projectile body concepts, PGO currently assumes nominal production capacity of 50,000 cast steel projectile bodies, with the possibility of reorganising and scaling output in response to growing demand.

A Milestone in the R&D Phase

Following the successful presentation of the projectile body demonstrator during the International Defence Industry Exhibition in Kielce, PGO S.A. has entered a key phase of Project “155”, aimed at full validation of the projectile design and preparation of infrastructure for future serial production. The launch of the R&D phase represents the most important stage in the project’s history to date, with the objective of developing the first fully domestic 155 mm ammunition projectile body compliant with NATO standards.

“This is a milestone on the path towards full national autonomy in the production of large-calibre ammunition and a significant impulse for strengthening Poland’s defence capabilities. The project is of strategic importance — it enables us to become independent of foreign licences,” emphasises Andrzej Bulanowski, Vice-President of the Management Board for Sales at PGO S.A.

Representatives of Zakłady Sprzętu Precyzyjnego Niewiadów, which is involved in development and testing work under the project, also participated in the successfully completed range test.

“We are satisfied with the results of the range test, which confirm the high level of competence of the domestic industry in the area of large-calibre ammunition. This shows that Polish companies have the technological background required to carry out projects of this kind. We count on further effective cooperation with WITU and PGO,” says Dariusz Szlafka, Director of Zakłady Sprzętu Precyzyjnego Niewiadów.

Test Series Production and Ballistic Gun Trials

The ambitious project to develop the first Polish 155 mm artillery projectile body assumes that, in the second half of the year, a series of several hundred projectile bodies will be produced and subjected to comprehensive testing, including:

• firing trials using a ballistic gun,
• strength tests,
• final firing of projectiles from a NATO-compatible artillery system, including the Krab and K9 systems used in Poland.

The further path towards serial production assumes completion of full projectile body validation in the last quarter of 2026, the start of pre-series production at the beginning of 2027 and, ultimately, the transition to full serial production.

PGO S.A. Technologies for Defence Systems

PGO S.A. does not limit its activity solely to large-calibre ammunition. For years, the company has been developing solutions for land and naval systems, producing, among others:

• track links,
• chassis and suspension components for combat vehicles,
• mobile bridge components,
• hydraulics and steering gear for naval vessels.