Arms manufacturer says it can't make any more ammunition because of 'cat videos' and TikTok
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A weapons manufacturer in Norway says it hasn't been able to produce ammunition and weapons because of TikTok and its 'cat videos'.
Nammo chief executive Morten Brandtzæg told the Financial Times that growth of the weapons firm could be hampered due to TikTok expanding its storage facilities.
"We are concerned because we see our future growth is challenged by the storage of cat videos," he said.
Yep. Cat videos.
But if we put aside the odd assumption that TikTok and the internet is made up of funny cat videos, Brandtzæg isn't actually far off the mark.
Energy company Elvia confirmed the electricity network has no spare energy capacity thanks to those new TikTok data centers.
According to Elvia, they operate on a 'first come, first served basis'.
"If Nammo orders capacity, depending on how much it needs, it will take time before there is available capacity as the transmission network needs to be strengthened,” Elvia told the Financial Times.
This has raised eyebrows at Nammo, with Brandtzæg wary that the Chinese-owned company may thwart the defense company’s expansion.
"I will not rule out that it’s not by pure coincidence that this activity is close to a defense company. I can’t rule it out," he said.
Norwegian data center provider Green Mountain revealed TikTok is building three data centers this year and a possible two more by 2025.
TikTok is building them a mere 15 miles (25 kilometers) from Raufoss, where Nammo is based.
And all this is happening when Nammo is facing an unprecedented demand to supply ammunition to Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion.
Which is notable, as Russia and China have previously declared the ties between their nations as 'not allies, but better than allies', as per the Economic Times.
Ukraine is using about 6,000 rounds of Nammo ammunition per day, the Financial Times reports, which is roughly the same number of bullets ordered by a small European country on an annual basis.
Brandtzæg also claimed Ukraine would be firing 65,000 if it could, with the demand for ammunition more than 15 times higher than normal.
The ammunition industry needs to invest an eye watering €2 billion (USD$2.168, AUD$3.244 billion, £1.761 billion) in order to keep up with demand from the Ukrainian conflict as well as other European nations.
"We see an extraordinary demand for our products which we have never seen before in our history," the Nammo chief executive said.
TikTok was approached for comment on this story.
