The UK government has announced plans to spend £1.5bn on constructing six new munitions and energetics factories, aiming to bolster military readiness and deter adversaries. Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the investment will create an 'always-on' weapons pipeline and support the procurement of up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons.
The announcement comes ahead of the publication of the long-awaited strategic defence review, which will outline threats including the 'immediate and pressing' danger from Russia. The review, due to be unveiled by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday, draws heavily on lessons from the war in Ukraine.
Healey emphasised the importance of a strong industrial base, saying: 'The hard-fought lessons from Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine show a military is only as strong as the industry that stands behind them.' The Ministry of Defence said the funding will bring total UK munitions spending to £6bn during this parliament and support 1,800 jobs across the country.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves linked the investment to economic strength, stating: 'A strong economy needs a strong national defence, and investing in weaponry and munitions and backing nearly 2,000 jobs across Britain in doing so is proof the two go hand-in-hand.'
Alongside the factory plans, ministers announced over £1.5bn to improve military housing, including urgent repairs to boilers, roofs, and damp issues. Healey acknowledged the poor conditions faced by service families, saying: 'Our forces make extraordinary sacrifices... yet for years, we’ve forced their families to live in substandard homes.'
The strategic defence review, written by former Nato secretary-general George Robertson, former US presidential adviser Fiona Hill, and former joint force commander Richard Barrons, is expected to paint a picture of the most heightened military and security threat since the Cold War. However, it will not set new defence spending commitments, reiterating instead Starmer's pledge to increase the defence budget to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and 3% in the next parliament.
