The federal government will spend £1.5bn on no less than six new munitions and explosives factories to “higher deter our adversaries”, Defence Secretary John Healey has stated.
The factories will help as much as 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons and create about 1,800 new jobs, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated.
The announcement is a part of the federal government’s Strategic Defence Evaluation, which is because of be revealed on Monday.
The conflict in Ukraine has highlighted severe deficiencies within the West’s potential to supply weapons and munitions, and senior British navy officers have lengthy warned concerning the UK’s depleted stockpiles.
As a part of its defence evaluate, the federal government stated it might construct new factories to make key munitions and explosives as a part of its plans to have an “all the time on” munitions manufacturing capability that could possibly be scaled up rapidly.
It additionally stated the UK would buy greater than 7,000 British-built long-range weapons, together with drones and missiles, over a number of years.
In line with the MoD, the brand new funding will see UK munitions spend hit £6bn throughout this parliament.
Ministers stated the additional funding – which got here after Healy said that UK defence spending would rise to 3% of GDP by 2034 at the latest – will strengthen the armed forces and increase British jobs.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves stated: “A robust financial system wants a robust nationwide defence, and investing in weaponry and munitions and backing almost 2,000 jobs throughout Britain in doing so is proof the 2 go hand-in-hand.
“We’re delivering each safety for working individuals in an unsure world and good jobs, placing more cash in individuals’s pockets.”
Healey stated the UK’s defence business will turn into “an engine for financial development” and can “increase expert jobs in each nation and area”.
“The hard-fought classes from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine present a navy is simply as sturdy because the business that stands behind them,” he added.
“We’re strengthening the UK’s industrial base to raised deter our adversaries and make the UK safe at residence and powerful overseas.”
Senior Western navy chiefs have lengthy been warning the UK would rapidly run out of ammunition within the occasion of a conflict.
In 2021, the previous head of the US Military in Europe, Gen Ben Hodges, informed MPs in a simulated wargame a lot of the British Military’s stock was exhausted after simply eight days.
The previous head of the British Military, Gen Sir Patrick Sanders, has additionally been calling for the UK to spice up weapons manufacturing.
He not too long ago stated the Military’s diminished shares of artillery rounds and missiles “would put hairs on the again of your neck”.
The UK has now considerably elevated manufacturing of artillery shells.
New contracts have been signed to supply extra complicated weapons, similar to subsequent era mild anti-tank weapons (NLAW) and long-range Storm Shadow (also referred to as SCALP) cruise missiles.
Each have been equipped to Ukraine however manufacturing charges have, prior to now, been sluggish. Precise numbers will not be made public.
With the conflict in Ukraine, world demand for explosives and propellants has additionally been excessive.
The UK has usually needed to supply supplies from overseas.
