- British-made artillery barrels are being delivered to
Ukraine, part of the UK's enduring support.
- 150 barrels are being produced by Yorkshire defence company
Sheffield Forgemasters through a £61 million
contract to BAE Systems, supporting hundreds of jobs.
- Defence Secretary visits Sheffield Forgemasters to
meet some of the skilled workers benefitting from the
UK's investment in defence.
The first of 150 British-made artillery barrels are being
provided to Ukraine to strengthen their defence under a £61
million contract that supports hundreds of jobs in
Sheffield.
The 105mm and 155mm gun barrels are being produced at
Sheffield Forgemasters under a contract awarded by the
UK Government to BAE Systems and announced by President Zelenskyy
last year. This is the first time forged artillery barrels have
been produced in the UK for almost two decades.
Sheffield Forgemasters manufactures specialist steel
forgings and castings used in critical defence programmes and
employs 780 skilled staff. More than 60 businesses across the UK
supply chain also stand to benefit from
the programme. Owned by the Ministry of
Defence, Forgemasters is a powerful example of how
defence investment drives reindustrialisation with its sovereign
steelmaking capabilities serving not only military programmes but
also civil nuclear and offshore energy sectors.
The company is building a new 13,000 tonne forging line and a
30,000 square metre machining hall to underpin supply
for UK defence programmes as part of a Ministry of Defence funded
£1.3 billion recapitalisation programme.
The announcement comes as Defence Secretary MBE MP visits the company for the first time as a
Minister, having previously met with skilled workers
and toured the facilities as Mayor of South
Yorkshire.
The production of gun barrels builds on the opening of BAE
Systems' new £25 million artillery factory in Sheffield, which
became operational earlier this year. The factory has created a
further 100 highly skilled jobs in the region and cements
Sheffield's position as the home of UK howitzer production. These
production lines show the benefits of the £298 billion Defence
Investment Plan for UK jobs across the nation.
Defence Secretary MBE MP said:
Steel forged in Sheffield defended Britain in its darkest hours.
The barrels produced here in South Yorkshire the first made in
Britain in almost two decades will help Ukraine on the
battlefield, while creating good, skilled jobs in the
UK.
Our Defence Investment Plan backed by £298 billion is delivering
greater national security for our nation and our allies, and
opportunities for people across the UK. This is about
rearming Europe by reindustrialising places like South
Yorkshire"
The first four barrels have been shipped for use as development
forgings, enabling Ukraine to test their own manufacturing
processes, and production in Sheffield is producing eight
forgings a month.
The barrels are produced in Yorkshire before being sent to
Ukraine for finishing and integration, contributing to Ukraine's
battlefield equipment while also supporting skilled jobs and
supply chains across the UK.
The work in Sheffield forms part of the UK's package of military
support for Ukraine.
The return of domestic production of these barrels strengthens
the UK's defence industrial base, helps to create skilled
employment opportunities and delivers investment in
communities across the country.
The government invested over £420 million
of additional funding in
Sheffield Forgemasters last year, bolstering sovereign
steelmaking capability for defence, including gun barrels and
nuclear submarines.
