The UK will place further orders for 155mm artillery ammunition with BAE Systems’ Washington facility.
The confirmation came in response to a written question from Labour MP Luke Akehurst, who asked whether additional production would be directed to the site. Defence Minister Luke Pollard stated that “we can confirm that additional 155mm artillery shell production orders will be placed with BAE Systems’ Washington plant.”
The decision aligns with the government’s broader push to expand domestic munitions output, particularly for NATO-standard 155mm ammunition, which has seen sustained demand due to commitments to Ukraine and renewed emphasis on stockpile resilience.
The new £75m plant on the site of the old Dunlop factory in Washington carries out forging, machining and treatment of large-calibre mortar, artillery and tank ammunition. Its setup reflects a significant expansion of the United Kingdom’s industrial base for munitions, with production lines designed to handle both routine orders and rapid surge requirements. By keeping forging and heat treatment in the same facility, BAE reduces transit time, tightens quality control and limits supply chain vulnerability, which has become a recurring issue in European defense manufacturing.
The Washington factory also represents a shift toward long term capacity rather than short contract cycles. Its output is meant to feed domestic demand and support NATO partners during periods of heightened operational tempo.
That leaves us with the minor problem of having nothing to shoot them with! Ukraine could benefit though I suppose👍
I think there are 14 Archer units which fire these shells and they are being replaced by 20230 with RCH 155 – so maybe not quite nothing… though 14 doesn’t sound a lot! But then Ukraine got the AS90s and that’s where the war is.. The ramping up of munition production tells us that, quietly, someone somewhere, is squaring up to, what I believe to be an inevitable shooting war with Russia… some military folk speak of 2027. Not much time. Putin is never going to compromise on the Donbas. I think he’d rather go down with his ship. (But I had a giggle when I researched this as I was told the “British acquired 14 units from Sweden”… sounds like a deal done by Delboy)
Where us that Defence Investment Plan? I hoped that the additional headroom created in the budget would be followed by an announcement on DIP rather than Healey and Pollard’s drip feed announcements. Perhaps they’re waiting for the Trump-Russia surrender plan to fall apart.
Just look at google for Rheinmetall Unterlüß. The investments there are really really substantial. Ukraine is buying us time. Like Chamberlain bought UK time with Munich.