We visited the Spanish ammunition factory FMG, which this year celebrates 700 years of its existence
On the outskirts of the ancient Spanish city of Granada, one of the most important producers of gunpowder and large-calibre ammunition in the Western world - Fábrica de Municiones de Granada, known by the acronym FMG - is spread over an area of almost a million square metres. To understand its importance to the MSM Group, or rather to the industrial-technology holding CSG, which acquired FMG in 2020, we must look back an incredible 700 years into the past. The first surviving written record of the use of gunpowder produced in Granada dates back to 1324, when it was used by the then ruler of the Emirate of Granada, Ismail the First of Granada, during the siege of Huéscar.
Video: We visited the Spanish FMG ammunition factory, which celebrates 700 years of its existence this year / DEFENSE MAGAZINE
Over the next 700 years, the factory developed, helping with economic stability in the region and, of course, expanding its portfolio to what it is today. In 2020, the Spanish munitions factory became part of the MSM Group, which purchased it from GDELS, a subsidiary of global giant General Dynamics. This acquisition also became the first ever by MSM Group within the CSG Group in the West. We had the opportunity to be there in person for FMG's 700-year anniversary celebration, so we asked FMG CEO Antonio Caro directly about his feelings on the acquisition. "It was very positive for our factory because it brought more activities, orders and more employees. We are now part of the ammunition business within CSG and have a much bigger market than before", Antonio Caro told our editorial team.
Thanks to the successful integration of FMG into the MSM Group, CSG Holding has managed to expand its existing product portfolio to include Western types of large-calibre tank ammunition. In Granada, Spain, it is not only gunpowder, TNT, powder charges or pyrotechnic equipment that are produced, but above all 105 and 120 millimetre calibre tank ammunition used in the Western world. FMG also produces mortar ammunition in 60, 81 and 120 millimetres and of course artillery ammunition in 105, 106 and 155 millimetres. It also has a modern laboratory and facilities for testing ammunition and individual components. It is the aforementioned tank ammunition, which has added to the MSM Group's portfolio, that has opened an imaginary gateway to Western cooperation.
We asked Jan Marinov, CEO of the CSG Defence division, which includes both FMG and MSM Group, how he assesses the acquisition of FMG and what his next investment plans are for the Spanish munitions company. "With the acquisition of FMG, we have increased the prestige of our group and the production of ammunition, as it has opened up opportunities for the production of Western ammunition such as 105 or 120 millimetre tank ammunition. We have big plans for FMG and we want to make quite significant investments in the future, especially in expanding the production of propellants, because these are needed for every ammunition. We also plan to introduce guidance on our ammunition," Jan Marinov revealed.
Given the situation in the East, we were also interested in the current ratio of production of different types and calibers of ammunition, including their modernisation. "We produce mainly 155 and 120 millimetre calibre ammunition, with a 99% share of eastern ammunition, which we do not produce as much," said the director of CSG's Defence Division.
So whether it's the introduction of smart ammunition within the MSM Group or the expansion of powder propellant production at the FMG factory, we can be sure that CSG is moving with the times and constantly developing and modernising its product portfolio.
