UK defence programme delivers artillery barrels to Ukraine under £61 million contract

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UK artillery barrels for Ukraine

Highlights

BAE Systems delivers the first four artillery barrels to Ukraine under a £61 million UK government contract, with Sheffield Forgemasters producing eight forgings monthly.
Sheffield Forgemasters' programme covers 150 barrels, supports 780 local jobs, and benefits over 60 UK supply chain businesses, boosting the regional defence industry.
Recent investments include BAE Systems' £25 million artillery factory creating 100 jobs and over £420 million in funding supporting a £1.3 billion recapitalisation at Sheffield Forgemasters.

Sheffield production ramps up for Ukraine support

As reported by GOV.UK, the first British-made artillery barrels are being delivered to Ukraine under a £61 million contract awarded by the UK government to BAE Systems, with production carried out by Sheffield Forgemasters in Yorkshire.

The programme covers 150 barrels, including 105mm and 155mm gun barrels, and marks the first time forged artillery barrels have been produced in the UK for almost two decades. The first four barrels have been shipped as development forgings so Ukraine can test its own manufacturing processes, while the Sheffield site is producing eight forgings a month.

The barrels are made in Yorkshire before being sent to Ukraine for finishing and integration. The government says the work forms part of the UK’s wider package of military support for Ukraine, and the contract was announced by President Zelenskyy last year.

Defence investment supports Sheffield industry and UK jobs

Sheffield Forgemasters employs 780 skilled staff and more than 60 businesses across the UK supply chain are also expected to benefit from the programme. The company, owned by the Ministry of Defence, produces specialist steel forgings and castings used in major defence programmes, while also serving civil nuclear and offshore energy sectors.

The production run builds on BAE Systems’ new £25 million artillery factory in Sheffield, which becomes operational earlier this year and creates a further 100 highly skilled jobs in the region. The government says the investment reinforces Sheffield’s role in UK howitzer production and reflects the employment impact of its £298 billion Defence Investment Plan.

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis says the return of barrel production strengthens the UK’s defence industrial base while helping Ukraine and creating skilled employment. The government also says it invested more than £420 million in additional funding in Sheffield Forgemasters last year, alongside a Ministry of Defence-backed £1.3 billion recapitalisation programme that includes a new 13,000 tonne forging line and a 30,000 square metre machining hall.

Our earlier article on the New Whittle Laboratory in Cambridge looked at how the UK is trying to convert strong research and engineering into faster commercial outcomes. It highlighted efforts to shorten engineering development cycles, back hardware start-ups through the Bennett Innovation Lab, and address constraints such as limited risk-taking growth capital and policy friction that can push firms to sell or relocate abroad.

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