In response to a parliamentary question from Rebecca Paul MP (Conservative, Reigate), the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has detailed its approach to replenishing stockpiles of precision-guided munitions and enhancing domestic production capacity.
Maria Eagle, Minister of State for Defence, stated: “The Ministry of Defence is carefully investing to improve the health of our munitions stockpiles, including precision-guided munitions, within the available financial envelope.”
Eagle highlighted that the MOD’s investment aims to not only rebuild stockpiles but also strengthen the UK’s resilience and self-reliance, boost sovereign defence industrial capacity, and support exports while creating high-quality jobs.
She added: “Through investing in munitions, we seek to grow domestic production, strengthen our resilience and self-reliance, boost our sovereign defence industrial capacity, increase our exports and create good jobs in the UK.”
The MOD is aligning its approach with the outcomes of the ongoing Strategic Defence Review, which will shape future defence priorities and investments. Eagle concluded: “The Department will continue to develop our approach as the outcomes of the Strategic Defence Review become clear.”
In response to a parliamentary question from Rebecca Paul MP (Conservative, Reigate), the Ministry of Defence (MOD) detailed its approach to replenishing stockpiles of precision-guided munitions and enhancing domestic production capacity.
Maria Eagle, Minister of State for Defence, stated: “The Ministry of Defence is carefully investing to improve the health of our munitions stockpiles, including precision-guided munitions, within the available financial envelope.”
Eagle highlighted that the MOD’s investment aims to not only rebuild stockpiles but also strengthen the UK’s resilience and self-reliance, boost sovereign defence industrial capacity, and support exports while creating high-quality jobs. She added: “Through investing in munitions, we seek to grow domestic production, strengthen our resilience and self-reliance, boost our sovereign defence industrial capacity, increase our exports and create good jobs in the UK.”
The MOD’s written evidence to the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee Ukraine Inquiry further elaborated on the strategic importance of replenishing munitions. It stated: “Defence’s lethality will only be sustained through investment in munitions stockpiles for sustained, high-end warfighting. The war in Ukraine has demonstrated the need for sufficient stockpiles of munitions to maintain operations.”
The evidence highlights the £1.95 billion allocated in the 2023 Spring Budget to address challenges in defence resilience. This funding has been directed toward building munitions and medical stockpiles, enhancing critical infrastructure, and purchasing essential weaponry, including munitions and missiles.
Additionally, efforts include supply chain mapping, wargaming, and reviewing mass expendable weapon systems, complex weapons, general munitions, and operational spares. The MOD highlighted the need for a clear and coherent demand signal to industry to increase production capacity and resilience: “Critically, we must provide industry with a coherent demand signal to increase industrial capacity and resilience.”
Eagle concluded that the MOD’s approach will evolve as the outcomes of the Strategic Defence Review become clear.
“ within the available financial envelope.”
Has anyone noticed the threat level?
If the statement was
“commensurate with the current threat level it would be more plausible….”
Unfortunately HMG has not actually bothered with “threat level” funding since 2002 when the war on terror kicked off and the Labour government did not up the funding to cover the expenses of 2 major wars…just cut capabilities to pay for it..then Cameron came in and a o it spending even as the threat started to go through the roof.
In essence if they keep talking about it the longer a decision will be made on replenishment of stocks. That and capability gaps.
Eagle is rightly talking up the uk production potential
“within the available financial envelope.” 😐😐😐😐😐😐😐
The governemnt and the treasury containing to ignore the growing threats. Rumours are a new Chief of the Defence staff can’t even be found, because of this shocking lack of urgency to give defence the funding it needs.
Well if “Eagle” says it must be a load of cadswallop.
Good things do happen 😏
I always thought we needed a second day capability. It’s great to have expensive day 1 facilities to knock the door down but no one can afford that level expenditure for a thousand days.
Seems like FPV drone will become that capability. We need to be able to mass produce these domestically with a minimal supply chain footprint.