Iran: The Latest Nato is running out of TNT. How did we fall behind Russia and China?
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Nov 21, 2025 Joakim Sjöblom, CEO of Sweden Ballistics, discusses his ambitious plan to build a new TNT production facility in Europe, addressing the current supply crisis and the risks of dependence on a single Polish factory. Tom Cotterill, Acting defence editor, evaluates a parliamentary report highlighting the UK’s struggles with military readiness and procurement delays. The conversation reveals alarming insights on Europe’s reliance on external sources for munitions, the challenges of building new plants, and how outdated processes have left nations vulnerable in modern warfare.
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Act Fast To Rebuild Sovereign Munitions Supply
- Build sovereign production capacity now and ensure long-term investment horizons.
- Start construction quickly and secure people and supply chains to operationalize sites.
TNT Supply Condensed To One European Plant
- Europe now depends on a single TNT plant, Nitrochem in Poland, which supplies most Western needs.
- Russia and China remain major producers but are not viable suppliers for NATO members.
Post‑Cold War Plant Closures Explained
- Joakim Sjöblom recounts Sweden and Finland closing TNT plants by the late 1990s and 2000s.
- He explains decommissioning followed a long peace and repurposing of sites, leaving a single producer today.