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UK Expands Explosives Production to Bolster Defence Independence

BAE Systems to scale up munitions output with innovative containerized facilities, targeting a 16-fold increase in 155mm round production by summer.

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By the summer BAE Systems will have increased its production of 155mm rounds, the Nato-standard ammunition, 16-fold over two years

Overview

  • Britain is ramping up domestic explosives production to reduce reliance on US and French imports, addressing supply chain vulnerabilities exposed by the Ukraine war.
  • BAE Systems is deploying innovative container-based manufacturing facilities across the UK and finalizing a new filling plant in Glascoed, Wales, set to be operational by summer 2025.
  • The company aims to produce 'Itar-free' munitions, free from US components, to avoid export restrictions and enhance global marketability.
  • Production of 155mm artillery rounds, a NATO standard, is on track for a 16-fold increase over two years to meet surging demand.
  • Defence Secretary John Healey emphasized the initiative as a critical step in boosting industrial resilience, creating high-skilled jobs, and ensuring national defence readiness.