The UK will build at least six new munitions and energetics
factories and thousands more long-range weapons to strengthen
Britain's Armed Forces and create new jobs across the country.
Through the Strategic Defence Review – published in the coming
days - the UK's defence and deterrence is being bolstered with
thousands of long-range weapons and a new £1.5 billion government
investment in munitions and energetics factories.
Together the investment will back around 1,800 highly-skilled
jobs across the UK, putting money in the pockets of working
people, and supporting the government's Plan for Change by
driving growth in every region and nation.
The SDR recommends creating an ‘always on' munitions production
capacity in the UK allowing production to be scaled up at speed
if needed. It says the MOD should also lay the industrial
foundations for an uplift in munitions stockpiles to meet the
demand of high-tempo warfare.
Taking the lessons from Ukraine which shows that our military is
only as strong as the industry that stands behind it, the
measures will boost British jobs while improving the warfighting
readiness of both British Armed Forces and industry.
The additional funding will see UK munitions spend hit £6 billion
this Parliament. It follows the Prime Minister's historic
commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP,
recognising the critical importance of military readiness in an
era of heightened global uncertainty.
Commitments include:
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£1.5 billion in an “always on” pipeline for munitions
and building at least 6 new energetics and munitions factories
in the UK. Creating more than 1,000 skilled
manufacturing jobs, the factories will produce munitions and
energetics, which are key components of weapons, including
propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics.
-
Up to 7,000 UK-built long-range
weapons for the UK Armed Forces,
supporting around 800 defence jobs. The lessons
from Ukraine demonstrate the importance of long-range weaponry
and boosting our military capabilities.
The SDR sets a path for the next decade and beyond to transform
defence and make the UK secure at home and strong abroad. It ends
the hollowing out of our Armed Forces and will also drive
innovation, jobs and growth across the country, allowing the UK
to lead in a stronger NATO.
Defence Secretary, MP said:
“The hard-fought lessons from Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine
show a military is only as strong as the industry that stands
behind them.
"We are strengthening the UK's industrial base to better deter
our adversaries and make the UK secure at home and strong
abroad.
“We will embrace the Strategic Defence Review; making defence an
engine for economic growth and boosting skilled jobs in every
nation and region as part of our Government's Plan for Change."
Chancellor of the Exchequer said:
“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 delivering both security for working people in an
uncertain world and good jobs, putting more money in people's
pockets as part of our Plan for Change.”
The new investments will form an ‘always-on' approach for
priority munitions. They will provide a steady drumbeat of
investment to industry sustaining a thriving defence industrial
base that drives growth and jobs to deliver on the Plan for
Change, while strengthening the UK's commitment to NATO.
The funding will help transform the UK's Armed Forces readiness
and ability to endure in prolonged campaigns, providing the
industrial foundations needed to support our Armed Forces in
warfare, as demonstrated by the conflict in Ukraine.
