French DGA Awards Contract to Procure 75 Million Rounds of Small Arms Ammunition

The French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) has awarded a contract to produce 75 million rounds of small arms ammunition to a consortium comprising FN Herstal, Cheditte, and Nobelsport.

The contract is expected to be signed during the summer of 2026, subject to completion of the formalities stipulated by the French Public Procurement Code.

Production in France, planned for 2029, will involve 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm ammunition with an industrial production capacity of 75 million rounds per year.

The sovereign production facility will be located in Clérieux in the Drôme (26).

The project to produce small caliber ammunition in France aims to provide the forces with a sovereign industrial tool for the supply of 5.56mm and 7.62mm ammunition with ordinary bullet and tracer bullet.

Initially, industrial activities carried out within the national territory will focus on powder loading, assembly of ammunition components (primers, cases, projectiles), and packaging of ammunition (on stripper clips and belts).

 For resilience purposes, plans also include qualifying European suppliers across the entire subcontracting chain. Subsequently, domestic production may be expanded to include certain sub-components (powders and primers in particular).

This project is part of a strategy to sustainably cover both the training needs and the capacity to sustain a high-intensity conflict.