The German armaments builder Rheinmetall has confirmed that it will set up a new facility in Telford, Northern England, for large calibre gun barrel manufacturing, with production scheduled to begin by 2027.
Momentum is already underway, the company said in a press release on 18 May, as Rheinmetall has placed orders for long-lead manufacturing equipment.
This follows the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s aim to “seize the defence dividend,” in which the British economy leans on the global demand for military equipment at a time of global animosity. Similarly, the Defence Secretary John Healey attended the London Stock Exchange last week, where he launched a defence technology ‘scaler’, encouraging innovative software and AI suppliers to pursue business in the UK’s defence industry.
Beyond these emerging technologies, however, the UK Armed Forces must also be ready to deploy conventional defence systems, such as artillery, which remain essential to operational success as seen in the Russia-Ukraine war.
GlobalData intelligence found that the global artillery system market will grow by a 4.3% compound annual growth rate, up to $17.3bn (£13bn) by 2034.
According to Rheinmetall, the European defence company will be restoring barrel manufacturing in the UK; this is a pivotal national capability that is said to have been lost since 2016.
RCH-155 and Challenger 3 barrels
Rheinmetall already have a presence in Telford alongside BAE Systems in their joint venture RBSL, where the company builds Challenger 3 main battle tanks and Boxer 8x8 mechanised infantry fighting vehicles.
Respectively, these two platforms will use a 120mm smoothbore cannon and the 155mm Remote-Controlled Howitzer (RCH-155) rifled gun.
The Challenger 3 tank is scheduled to deliver between 2027-2030. In the meantime, additional resources have been sought from within the national supply chain such as personnel. Trials to test the capability of the platform including live firing trials, commenced in February 2024 and are planned to continue into 2026.
Boxer, meanwhile, on 12 March, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) acknowledged that the British Army Boxer deliveries had been subject to “ongoing delays” due to global supply chain issues resulting from the war in Ukraine. The earliest completion of all units will likely be from around 2030 and beyond.
In a parliamentary written response on 16 May, a senior MoD official anticipated that Rheinmetall’s new gun barrel factory will support more than 400 jobs in Telford.
Meanwhile, in the company’s announcement, Rheinmetall added that it plans to invest more than £400m into the UK economy over the next decade.
Additional reproting from Richard Thomas.
