A new artillery production and development facility is to be built in Sheffield by BAE Systems. The site will see 50 new jobs created for the area. The new 94,000 square foot state of the art facility will help deliver the M777 lightweight towed howitzer capability, and support the UK government’s ambition to sustain future UK artillery manufacture and production. The M777 has proven itself extremely useful in Ukrainian service. John Borton, managing director of BAE Systems commented on the site and its aims:
“Our aim is to deliver long-term artillery capabilities for the UK, which will safeguard, sustain and grow a critical, specialised British industrial capability as well as provide important opportunities for exports…As we continue to grow our business to meet our customers evolving requirements, this significant investment will help us develop a highly-skilled and adaptable workforce as an important part of the national defence infrastructure.”
Work is already underway on the site which is expected to be operational in 2025, the news follows the announcement earlier this year by the MOD that the forging of gun barrels would again take place within the UK under a partnership with Sheffield Forgemasters. In a step towards UK sovereign barrel production. Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield South East spoke also commented on the new BAE site:
“Sheffield is well known for its strong history of world-class engineering and advanced manufacturing and BAE Systems’ investment in a new artillery facility and highly skilled jobs will ensure the city continues to play a key role in delivering both economic prosperity and national security.”
The new facility is the latest in a series of UK sites that have been set into development recently by BAE. Including a 300 million pound shipbuilding facility in Glasgow and a new 200 million pound upgrader to the UK munitions business and further 220 million invested into a new factory based in Rochester, Kent.