The United Kingdom announced on Thursday that it has restarted the production of heavy weaponry for the first time in two decades as part of a rapid expansion of its national defense capabilities amid increasing security threats, according to Reuters.
Rheinmetall UK, the British subsidiary of the German arms manufacturer, has begun manufacturing barrels and closures for 120 mm and 155 mm caliber weapon systems.
The government led by Andy Burnham stated in a press release that the production at the arms factory in Telford, located in central England, will support 100 highly skilled jobs.
John Healey, the UK’s Defence Minister, expressed his desire for the defense industry to play a role in driving the reindustrialization of Britain.
According to the announcement, the previously unused production unit was brought to full production capacity in just eight months, as the UK aims to quickly develop its defense capacity in response to the increasing threat posed by Russia.
However, some projects in the British defense sector are facing delays amid uncertainty regarding the timeline for increasing defense spending to 3% of GDP. This is a crucial interim target on the path to achieving the NATO target of 3.5% of GDP by 2035.
The inauguration of the arms factory in Telford follows the signing of a new defense cooperation agreement between the UK and Germany in 2024.
