The construction of two factories — one for 155 mm artillery ammunition and another for 40 mm ammunition — as well as the production of anti-personnel mines, are the main development directions for Niewiadów Polska Grupa Militarna. The plans are intended as a response to the growing needs of the Polish Armed Forces, but also as a step towards building European export potential. The group has already made its debut on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, which will enable it to obtain additional sources of financing for its development projects.
“Niewiadów Polska Grupa Militarna is the first defence-sector company in Poland’s modern history to be listed on the main market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange. We decided to take this step because it was a natural opportunity to obtain additional sources of financing for our development and investments in both infrastructure and technology. These projects are still ahead of us,” Dr Eng. Przemysław Kowalczuk, President of Grupa Niewiadów, tells Newseria. “Another reason for entering the stock exchange was the willingness to undergo market verification, which took place already on the first day of trading. Niewiadów Polska Grupa Militarna was valued above the threshold we had cautiously expected, at around PLN 3 billion. The market is showing a high level of confidence in our companies, which is an added value of such a debut.”
A key investment for the group is the construction of a 155 mm artillery ammunition factory at the plant in Niewiadów. According to the adopted schedule, the installation of technological lines is planned for the third quarter of 2026, which should make it possible to start serial production of 155 mm ammunition as early as the fourth quarter of this year. More than PLN 250 million has been secured for the investment.
“The investment plans of the entire Grupa Niewiadów are ambitious and very clear. The key results of these investments will already be visible in 2026 in the area of large-calibre ammunition, especially 155 mm artillery ammunition. We will expand these capabilities in the following quarters of 2027,” explains the President of Grupa Niewiadów during Defence24 Days.
The priority markets for 155 mm NATO-standard ammunition, compatible among others with the Krab and K9A1 systems, are to be the Polish Armed Forces, as well as allied NATO markets. The number of 155 mm systems in Europe is expected to increase by more than 110 percent, from around 2,200 in 2025 to 4,500 in 2035.
“We define our target production capacity at 180,000 sets of long-range ammunition, meaning ammunition with a range of more than 40 km. Dialogue with state institutions is ongoing and, from our perspective, is moving towards offering and delivering a significant part of these sets for the needs of the Polish Armed Forces. Our ambition and goal is to be a reliable partner that will meet a significant share of these needs on time,” emphasises Dr Eng. Przemysław Kowalczuk. “Grupa Niewiadów declares that deliveries will begin as early as the fourth quarter of this year.”
Poland needs between 1 million and 3 million rounds of ammunition as part of its wartime stockpile. Grupa Niewiadów estimates that the current level is below the required minimum.
“155 mm artillery ammunition is a hot topic for many armed forces, both in Europe and beyond. The fact is that demand significantly exceeds production capacity — both current capacity and the capacity being developed for the coming years,” says Dr Eng. Przemysław Kowalczuk. “From a business perspective, our group benefits from this situation. Already now, with the ability to deliver a certain number of ammunition sets, we are doing so through direct contracts with export customers and with NSPA, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency.”
A factory producing medium-calibre 40 mm ammunition will also be built in Niewiadów. Around PLN 70 million has been secured for this investment.
“In European armies alone, in our immediate region, depending on estimates, more than 48,000 grenade launchers are in operational use. This means a fairly deep market with significant demand for 40 mm ammunition,” the expert says. “Some time ago, in Niewiadów, we began investing our own funds in new production lines for 40 mm grenade launcher ammunition, not only for the needs of the Polish Armed Forces, but also for many other entities.”
Demand for 40 mm ammunition in European NATO countries is estimated at around 40 million rounds. After 2022, demand increased sharply as a result of the need to replenish operational stockpiles and intensify training in response to the geopolitical situation.
“Our target production volume for the 40 mm calibre is 480,000 rounds per year. That is a substantial number, but this is the level of sales we expect in the coming years. Looking at the depth of the market, while of course taking into account both competitors and partners, these are realistic figures,” says the President of Niewiadów PGM.
The factory project is based on a technology transfer licence agreement with ST Engineering Advanced Material Engineering, based in Singapore.
“ST Engineering is a key manufacturer of many types of armaments, with a variety of defence technologies not only in Singapore. That is why the choice of this company as our technology partner was not accidental. It is a provider of production technology licensed for at least 30 years, which guarantees a very stable basis, enables rapid implementation and allows for the production of 40 mm ammunition in many variants,” explains Dr Eng. Przemysław Kowalczuk.
The production of NATO-standard 40 mm ammunition will cover two calibres. The first is 40 x 53 mm High Velocity ammunition, intended for automatic grenade launchers, while the second is 40 x 46 mm Low Velocity ammunition for hand-held grenade launchers. The launch of serial production is planned for mid-2027. The main sales markets for the ammunition are expected to be the domestic market and European markets, including the DACH region — Austria, Germany and Switzerland — as well as the Nordic and Baltic countries, Benelux and Southern Europe.
“ST Engineering also provides its supply chains, which, especially in the initial period, greatly help us fulfil the production obligations resulting from contracts, while also giving us access to its natural customer base,” says the President of Grupa Niewiadów. “This is a win-win agreement, because both sides benefit from it. Due to its considerable geographical distance, Singapore faces difficult logistics when serving Europe, so the initial competition between us was quickly mitigated by business opportunities that we can jointly fulfil.”
Work is also underway in Niewiadów to resume serial production of anti-personnel mines. This includes, among others, directional fragmentation mines, area fragmentation mines and pressure mines, in both combat and training versions. Total demand for these products in Poland has been estimated at 16.17 million units by 2028.
“The conflict in Ukraine has shown the importance of securing large areas of land. Mines are one of the combat assets that are a natural choice for securing entire border lines and areas that may turn into zones of military operations. That is why preparation for mine production, mainly in technological but also infrastructural terms, has been an area of interest for Grupa Niewiadów for some time. We were blocked by the Ottawa Convention, which significantly limited the possibility of producing and selling anti-personnel mines,” emphasises Dr Eng. Przemysław Kowalczuk.
In March 2025, the defence ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland announced their intention to withdraw from the so-called Ottawa Convention, which bans the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of anti-personnel mines. In Poland, the withdrawal took effect on 20 February 2026.
“The convention is no longer in force, but the needs remain. That is why we are observing a kind of race among potential or existing mine producers to meet those needs. These needs are becoming increasingly visible not only on our eastern flank,” explains the President of Grupa Niewiadów.
ZSP Niewiadów has many years of experience in mine production. It also has the appropriate infrastructure, including buildings and production lines. The technical documentation for the products is ready, as is the team with engineering and production expertise.
“In this area, there is no need for intensive investment, as is the case with large-calibre or medium-calibre ammunition. We have sufficient infrastructure within our companies,” explains Dr Eng. Przemysław Kowalczuk. “Nevertheless, production capacity itself will reach its peak in the coming quarters at the level of one million mines per year.”
