Britain is set to significantly increase its weapons production in order to no longer rely on importing from the US and France.
This comes as British and European defence companies move away from buying US-made weaponry and equipment due to concerns over president Donald Trump making the country an unreliable military partner.
First reported by The Times, BAE Systems, the UK defence company, has been developing new methods to make sufficient explosives and propellants in the UK to meet the Ministry of Defence and export requirements.
One of the ways the company, the largest defence contractor in Europe, is doing this is by creating sites across the UK to produce RDX explosives, which are used in 155mm rounds in British Army guns and weapons. It will also be seeking to build three new sites to add “resilience and support our ramp-up of critical munitions production”.
According to John Healey, the defence secretary, the defence industry “is the foundation of our ability to fight and win on the battlefield”.
He said: “Strengthening homegrown artillery production is an important step in learning the lessons from Ukraine, boosting our industrial resilience and making defence an engine for growth.”
BAE Systems said it has developed new methods to create the new weapons, describing it as an “innovative” way to keep up with demand while removing the need for nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine, which are high in demand across global supply chains.
Previously, the company imported RDX explosives from two main sources, the US and France. However, it wants to be in a place where its munitions are deemed to be “Itar-free”, meaning it can be bought and sold on without any restrictions from the US.
Steve Cardew, the business development director at BAE Systems’ maritime and land defence solutions, said: “Our leap forward in synthetic energetics and propellant manufacture will strengthen the UK’s supply chain resilience and support our ramp up of critical munitions production to meet growing demand in response to the increasingly uncertain world we’re living in.
“It also supports economic growth through high-skilled jobs and potential export opportunities.”
