UK government launches next phase of new munitions and energetics factories

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In a speech in Westminster today, the Defence Secretary reveals that at least 13 sites across the UK have now been identified and will invite industry to submit proposals to meet the government’s requirements for energetics production. He is committing to “building the factories of the future in Britain” and expects industry to break ground on the first energetics factory in the next year.

The Defence Secretary confirms that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has now funded a number of feasibility studies for the new energetics factories to kickstart high volume energetics production at scale for the first time in nearly two decades. The engineering design work on the first of these factories has been commissioned with a view to start production for UK Armed Forces and to enable the UK’s continued support to Ukraine. Potential sites include Grangemouth in Scotland, Teesside in Northeast England and Milford Haven in Wales. The factories will produce the components essential for bolstering the UK’s weapons arsenal including propellants, explosives and pyrotechnics.

He stresses that the Government’s record increase in defence investment is essential to protect the British people from a “new era of threat” while also delivering a defence dividend from that investment, “Measured in good jobs, growing businesses, new skills across the UK.”

Defence Secretary John Healey MP explained: “For too long our proud industrial heartlands saw jobs go away and not come back. We are changing that. Bringing new hope. This is a fundamental shift from the failed approach of the past.

“This is a new era of threat, but the opportunity of this new era is a defence dividend from our record investment, measured in good jobs, thriving businesses, new skills for the British people.

“We are making defence an engine for growth, unambiguously backing British jobs and British skills as we make the UK better ready to fight and better able to deter future conflicts. This is the path that delivers national and economic security.”

In the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) published in June, MoD committed £1.5 billion of additional defence investment for energetics and munitions including the ‘always on munitions’ pipeline. The Government is committed to building at least 6 new munitions and energetics factories this parliament and creating at least 1,000 new jobs and driving defence as an engine for growth in every region and nation, supporting the government’s decade of national renewal.

The MoD’s requirements for energetics production will be published online today in a Planned Procurement Note (PNN) which sets out the MoD’s plan to deliver a significant set of multi-year investments to support onshore production and generate growth in the UK. The document includes details of nine energetic materials which have been identified as key for the UK.

The new munitions and energetics factories are delivering on the Strategic Defence Review’s commitment to move to warfighting readiness and need to boost the UK’s firepower for the Armed Forces.

Defence Secretary John Healey will also reveal that two new drone factories will open in the UK this week – in another sign of UK Defence being at the leading edge of innovation, boosting both security and growth. Following the speech, the Defence Secretary is opening Helsing’s new ‘resilience factory’ in Plymouth and Minister for the Armed Forces Alistair Carns travels to Swindon tomorrow (Thursday) to open STARK’s cutting edge drone production line.

The factories demonstrate how the UK is in the vanguard of innovation and the benefits of defence growth deals – like that in Plymouth – which are backed by £250 million investment.

The war in Ukraine demonstrates the importance of the fast resupply of munitions by industry, and the benefits of a continual cycle of innovation between industry and the front line. The SDR set out the new £11 billion ‘Invest’ annual budget has which has been established under the new National Armaments Director to fund kit for our front-line forces which is affordable and grows our UK industrial base. The government has also established UK Defence Innovation with £400 million this year to fund and grow UK-based companies and ringfenced 10% of the MoD equipment budget for novel technologies.

Defence support supports over 460,000 jobs in the UK, including over 24,000 Ministry of Defence apprenticeships and last financial year spent £31.7 billion with UK-based business. 70% of defence jobs are outside London and Southeast England and the MoD is committed to ensuring that the defence dividend is felt across the UK.

The areas for the identified sites are:

• Monmouthshire
• Cumbria
• Dumfriesshire
• Ayrshire
• Shropshire
• Cheshire
• Derbyshire
• Essex
• Worcestershire
• Hampshire
• Pembrokeshire
• Stirlingshire