UK executive to spend £1.5bn on six new guns factories

The executive will spend £1.5bn on no less than six new munitions and explosives factories to “better deter our adversaries”, Defence Secretary John Healey has mentioned.

The factories will reinforce as much as 7,000 UK-built long-range guns and create about 1,800 new jobs, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) mentioned.

The announcement is a part of the federal government’s Strategic Defence Review, which is because of be printed on Monday.

The conflict in Ukraine has highlighted severe deficiencies within the West’s talent to provide guns and munitions, and senior British army officials have lengthy warned about the United Kingdom’s depleted stockpiles.

As a part of its defence evaluation, the federal government mentioned it might construct new factories to make key munitions and explosives as a part of its plans to have an “always on” munitions manufacturing capability which may be scaled up briefly.

It additionally mentioned the United Kingdom would acquire greater than 7,000 British-built long-range guns, together with drones and missiles, over a number of years.

According to the MoD, the brand new investment will see UK munitions spend hit £6bn right through this parliament.

Ministers mentioned the additional funding – which got here after Healy mentioned that UK defence spending would upward thrust to 3% of GDP by way of 2034 at the most recent – will fortify the defense force and spice up British jobs.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves mentioned: “A strong economy needs a strong national defence, and investing in weaponry and munitions and backing nearly 2,000 jobs across Britain in doing so is proof the two go hand-in-hand.

“We are handing over each safety for operating folks in an unsure global and just right jobs, striking more cash in folks’s wallet.”

Healey said the UK’s defence industry will become “an engine for financial enlargement” and will “spice up professional jobs in each and every country and area”.

“The hard-fought classes from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine display an army is simplest as sturdy because the business that stands at the back of them,” he added.

“We are strengthening the United Kingdom’s commercial base to higher deter our adversaries and make the United Kingdom protected at house and powerful in a foreign country.”

Senior Western military chiefs have long been warning the UK would quickly run out of ammunition in the event of a war.

In 2021, the former head of the US Army in Europe, Gen Ben Hodges, told MPs in a simulated wargame most of the British Army’s inventory was exhausted after just eight days.

The former head of the British Army, Gen Sir Patrick Sanders, has also been calling for the UK to boost weapons production.

He recently said the Army’s diminished stocks of artillery rounds and missiles “would put hairs at the again of your neck”.

The UK has now significantly increased production of artillery shells.

New contracts have been signed to produce more complex weapons, such as next generation light anti-tank weapons (NLAW) and long-range Storm Shadow (also known as SCALP) cruise missiles.

Both have been supplied to Ukraine but production rates have, in the past, been slow. Exact numbers are not made public.

With the war in Ukraine, global demand for explosives and propellants has also been high.

The UK has incessantly needed to supply fabrics from in a foreign country.