The UK Ministry of Defence increases ammunition orders.

This was reported on the BAE Systems official website.

The value of the additional order is estimated at £130 million, which will expand the production line in England and Wales.

The Ministry of Defense signed the first ammunition production contract, worth £280 million, in 2022. The contract’s total value is currently estimated at £410 million.

The increase in the order expands the production site in Washington and Tyne and Wear, and adds up to 1,200 jobs at these facilities.

“This contract builds on our extensive relationship with the UK MOD as a strategic partner for munitions supply. Our teams are increasing production rates, investing in people and new facilities and maximising shift patterns to meet the enhanced demand whilst ensuring every shell meets our exceptionally high standards,” Glynn Plant, Managing Director of the Munitions business at BAE Systems, shared.

Under the terms of the contract, the UK government is investing in the expansion of BAE Systems’ production sites in Washington and Tyne and Wear, where an additional 155mm machining line is being built, a new explosives filling facility in Glascoed, South Wales, and the reinstatement of the 30mm medium calibre manufacturing capability in Washington and Glascoed.

“As the UK continues to back Ukraine’s resistance of Russia’s illegal invasion, it’s vital we ramp up our sovereign munitions production. This contract will further bolster ammunition stockpiles, whilst supporting our defence industry and backing hundreds of highly-skilled UK jobs,” James Cartlidge, Minister for Defence Procurement, commented.

In addition, the production expansion is linked to the donation of artillery shells to Ukraine. Prior to the outbreak of Ukraine’s full-scale war with Russia, the British Army’s stockpile of artillery shells was too small to be regularly transferred to Ukraine. The new expansion will provide both the opportunity to build up the own reserve and to continue to provide shells to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which are actively using 155mm artillery.

As previously reported, the British defense contractor BAE Systems is ready to help Ukraine build spare parts for 105-mm L119 lightweight towed howitzers.

It is possible to set up production at Ukrainian facilities in a few months. The production of light howitzer components at existing facilities in Ukraine is seen as a potential precursor for other more complex weapons.

However, a decision on whether and when to establish a local factory and the specific timeframe is yet to be made.