Lithuania invests £30m in GGG to double ammo production by 2027
The Lithuanians will invest 30 million pounds in their sole ammunition factory, Giraitės Ginkluotės Gamykla (GGG), which is expected to double its production capacity by 2027. Here is an overview of what the Lithuanians manufacture.
According to the Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT) website, the Lithuanian Ministry of Finance plans to allocate 36 million euros to the state-owned ammunition factory Giraitės Ginkluotės Gamykla (GGG), with 9.4 million pounds earmarked for 2024.
The additional funding is intended to establish a second production line by 2027, which will increase ammunition production for firearms from the current 60 million units to 120 million units annually. It is noteworthy that in September 2024, the Lithuanian company reached an agreement with the American defence industry giant Northrop Grumman to produce 30 mm calibre ammunition by 2026.
This development, combined with the planned artillery ammunition factory in collaboration with the German consortium Rheinmetall, indicates that Lithuania aims in the long term to achieve at least partial self-sufficiency in the production of small, medium, tank, and artillery ammunition.
Giraitės Ginkluotės Gamykla (GGG)
The Lithuanian GGG factory, established in 2000, currently focuses on manufacturing small calibre ammunition of 5.56x45 mm NATO / .223 Remington and 7.62x51 mm NATO / .308 Winchester. It is the only producer of small arms ammunition in the Baltic states with the requisite certification to supply NATO countries.
In the production of 5.56x45 mm NATO military ammunition, 62 grain bullets with a steel core are used, while for the 7.62x51 mm NATO, standard bullets with a lead core weighing 147 grains are utilised.
Interestingly, the Lithuanians, like some American companies, have shifted part of their production to the civilian market during peacetime, enabling the firm to maintain steady sales even in the absence of government contracts. The civilian production occurs on the same production line, although it excludes the use of bullets with a steel core.
