Yesterday in Pardubice, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the state-owned company Explosia a.s. and Colt CZ Defence Solutions, a subsidiary of the Colt CZ Group. By signing the memorandum, the companies confirmed their mutual interest in developing cooperation in the area of testing and certifying new types of ammunition and modifying existing ammunition for the needs of the Czech Armed Forces and NATO countries. Explosia and Colt will also focus their joint efforts on research and development activities in the fields of energetic materials, ammunition, and weapon systems. Deepening this cooperation will enable both companies to shorten and stabilize key supply chains, their directors emphasized.

Explosia is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of explosives and smokeless gunpowder, with a history dating back to 1920. The company is best known for producing the Semtex plastic explosive, but it also specializes in manufacturing biomodular propellants for large-caliber ammunition.

However, it was recently announced that the company will also participate in the production of 120 mm artillery ammunition for Leopard tanks. In addition, it is developing propellants for 155 mm ammunition for French-made Caesar artillery systems. At a time when the conflict in Ukraine is exposing NATO’s insufficient production capacity in the field of ammunition manufacturing, Explosia is becoming a true gem of the Czech defence industry.

Colt is an internationally recognized defence brand and one of the world’s leading manufacturers of small arms and ammunition. It is also the main supplier of hand grenades to the Czech Army and holds the proprietary rights to the Mk 47 light grenade launcher. “We aim to produce ammunition for this grenade launcher and would like to leverage our collaboration with Explosia to find substitutes for the explosives we use in the ammunition,” said Petr Vávra, Director of Colt CZ Defence Solutions.

The war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East, and increased demand for explosives have made existing supply chains for explosives unreliable and unstable. For Colt, deepening cooperation with a leading domestic explosives manufacturer thus represents a way to gain greater control over the supply of certain critical inputs for production amid the current turbulent international situation.

Efforts to secure a stronger position within supply chains are also evident in light of the recent acquisition of Synthesia Nitrocellulose. In January of this year, Colt announced the completion of the acquisition of a 51% stake in this company, which is based in the same industrial complex in Pardubice as Explosia. Synthesia is a critical supplier of energy nitrocellulose to Explosia, which is a key raw material for the production of propellants.

Eva Svobodová, Director of External Relations at Colt CZ Defence Solutions, highlighted the importance of vertical integration within the domestic defence industry and noted that Colt also collaborates with Explosia through Sellier & Bellot (part of the Colt CZ Group). This manufacturer of small-caliber ammunition is a long-standing customer of Explosia.

“Both companies want to share their expertise on new technological trends and developments in the field. ‘Our goal is to strengthen the technological capabilities of both partners and create solutions that can contribute to the development of the capabilities of the Czech Army and NATO partners,’ said Tomáš Rubáček, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Explosia, summarizing the goals and prospects of the deepening cooperation.

Our editorial team was interested in learning how this newly confirmed cooperation can specifically contribute to meeting the current needs of the Czech Army. According to Tomáš Rubáček, Explosia and Colt are currently working on several projects related to, for example, mortars and large-caliber ammunition. “We believe that signing this memorandum will allow us to take a significantly more proactive approach to team building so that delivery speeds are higher,” Rubáček concluded for CZ DEFENCE. In this context, Petr Vávra highlighted the topic of hand grenades: “We will ask our partner to increase the explosive capacity for our production.”

The signing of the memorandum between Colt and Explosia is a logical outcome of Colt’s increasing efforts to strengthen its position in ammunition production supply chains.