UK Revives Tank Barrel Production After Two Decades
New manufacturing facility opens in Telford, creating 100 jobs and signaling a return to domestic weapons production.
The United Kingdom has resumed the production of gun barrels for tanks for the first time in 20 years with the inauguration of a new manufacturing facility.
The UK Gun Hall in Telford, operated by the German defense firm Rheinmetall, is set to support 100 jobs and will manufacture barrels and breaches for large-caliber weapons.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, who attended the opening ceremony, stated that Britain is "back in the business of making weapons" for its armed forces. He highlighted the facility's rapid development, noting, "From an empty site to full production in eight months, this is rapid reindustrialisation in action."
Streeting further emphasized the economic benefits, describing the facility as an "engine for growth" that provides "one hundred skilled jobs in world class manufacturing and the return of large calibre weapon production to UK soil for the first time in 20 years."
Rheinmetall indicated that the barrels and breaches will be produced for both 120mm and 155mm weapon systems, including those for the RCH 155 and future artillery platforms. The firm is already involved in the UK's Boxer combat vehicle program and is undertaking upgrades for the nation's Challenger tanks.
The renewed domestic production capacity is seen as a significant step in bolstering the UK's defense manufacturing capabilities.