The UK will harness the development of synthetic propellant material for its 155mm and 105mm artillery shell manufacture, along with other munitions, potentially removing the need for two key materials in high demand throughout the global supply chain.
In a 12 April release, UK defence prime BAE Systems stated “new approaches” in the production of ammunition energetics and propellants developed over the past five years would remove the need for Nitrocellulose and Nitroglycerine in manufacturing ammunition.
The development followed more than £150m ($200.8m) of investment by BAE Systems in its UK munitions facilities since 2022, which will deliver a sixteen-fold increase in production capacity of 155mm artillery shells when its explosive filling facility at Glascoed, South Wales, becomes operational in summer 2025.
BAE Systems said that, as a result of its investment into next generation explosives and propellants, it would be “able to produce sufficient explosives and propellants” in the UK to meet UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and international export requirements.
The initial phase of industrial capacity is expected by the end of 2026.
The company stated that a pilot had demonstrated the technological breakthrough producing the explosives in small nodes, which it says removes the need for a large-scale explosive factory.
“The new propellant formulation and associated manufacturing process have been demonstrated across a wide range of products from small arms to large calibre munitions,” BAE Systems stated.
As the primary producer of ammunition for the UK MoD, BAE Systems supplies munitions including small arms and artillery shells from sites across the UK, including in Cheshire, Monmouthshire, and Tyne and Wear.
The UK maintains a small fleet of 14 155mm Archer self-propelled artillery systems obtained from Sweden. It is unclear how many of its AS90 155mm howitzers it still maintains in service with the British Army, with dozens donated to Ukraine since 2022.
In addition, the UK operates 126 L118 105mm towed artillery pieces, which are due to leave service by 2030.
Supply chains stretched by global demands
In March 2024 a report by GlobalData examined the strain placed on global supply chains as an intensifying rearmament race, driven by geopolitical tensions and escalating defence budget, is setting new demands for an industrial base that at time is struggling to accommodate.
The repercussions of this heightened demand are reverberating across supply chains, with Western nations striving to replenish depleted stocks while simultaneously supporting Ukrainian forces.
The UK has donated hundreds of thousands of 155mm artillery shells to Ukraine, and earlier inked deals with companies such as BAE Systems to increase munitions production. Similarly, companies like Rheinmetall and KNDS in Europe are forging ahead with new production lines to meet the escalating demand.
Task Force Kindred: UK wants explosives
In November 2024 the UK MoD released details of planned multi-year procurement framework to secure high explosive material to support Ukrainian demand for warheads, artillery, and other weapons, amid a global bottleneck in munitions production.
Releasing a single statement of user need (SSUN) on 28 November, the MoD revealed its intention to develop a supply chain specifically to assist with Ukrainian requirements, indicating the potential development of a country-specific industrial capability inside the UK or overseas, funded by the UK.
Working under the moniker of Task Force Kindred, the SSUN revealed that an industry day would take place to determine capabilities and resources available in the private sector, specific to the provision of “high explosives for warheads and artillery projectiles, propellants for boost/rocket motors and artillery”, as well as “pyrotechnics”.
