Construction of M777 Howitzer Production Plant starts in UK

BAE Systems is establishing a new artillery development and production facility in Sheffield.

BAE Systems announced this in its press release.

“Our aim is to deliver long-term artillery capabilities for the UK, which will safeguard, sustain and grow a critical, specialized British industrial capability as well as provide important opportunities for exports,” John Borton, managing director of BAE Systems’ Weapons Systems UK business.

The new plant in Sheffield will have an area of about 8,700 square meters and will create 50 highly skilled jobs. The construction cost is over £25 million.

Work is already underway to prepare the site to be operational in 2025.

Information about plans to resume production of the M777 in the UK appeared in January 2014.

The resumption of production is due to the increased demand for M777 howitzers, which are used by both the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the US Army and Marine Corps.

Currently, the largest operator of British howitzers is the United States, which has more than 1,200 howitzers of this type in service.

In addition, according to BAE Systems, other European and Asian countries, as well as Canada and Australia, which donated their howitzers to Ukraine, are also interested in purchasing M777s.

The Sheffield plant is the latest investment by BAE Systems to expand its production capacity in the UK.

In particular, Glasgow is modernizing shipbuilding facilities worth £300 million, and another £220 million was spent on expanding the production of electronic systems in Rochester.

And more than £200 million were invested in increasing the production of ammunition by British companies.