Tank barrel production returns to UK after 20 years

A green tank is in the middle of a large warehouse building as part of a display. There is a display board next to it with a union flag background and it says "Telford UK Gun Hall Opening".

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Rheinmetall said the facility had created 100 jobs and it would look to expand its workforce in the future

ByAlex McIntyre, West Midlands and Rob Trigg, Reporting fromTelford

Published41 minutes ago

The production of gun barrels to be used on tanks has returned to the UK for the first time in 20 years with the opening of a new manufacturing facility.

The UK Gun Hall in Telford, run by German defence firm Rheinmetall, has supported 100 jobs and will make barrels and breaches for large calibre weapons.

Defence secretary, Wes Streeting, attended the opening ceremony on Thursday and said Britain was "back in the business of making weapons" for its armed forces.

"From an empty site to full production in eight months, this is rapid reindustrialisation in action," he said.

"One hundred skilled jobs in world class manufacturing and the return of large calibre weapon production to UK soil for the first time in 20 years - this is what defence as an engine for growth looks like," Streeting added.

The barrels and breaches will be made for both 120m and 155mm weapon systems, including for the RCH 155 and future artillery platforms, according to Rheinmetall.

The firm is already involved in the UK's Boxer combat vehicle programme and is upgrading the country's Challenger tanks.

Wes Streeting and another man talk together on a factory floor. There are others in the background, including members of the armed services in uniform

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Wes Streeting said the opening of the facility would be a boost to Britain's defence capabilities

Specialist workers from Telford have been recruited and the firm said it would expand its workforce as production ramped up.

Ahead of the factory's opening, staff spent time at a Rheinmetall facility in Germany where they were trained in precision manufacturing, quality assurance and specialist weapon production.

Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, said the gun hall was an "important milestone" that would strengthen the country's industrial base "for decades to come".

"We are committed to investing in the UK for the long term, expanding our industrial footprint and working together to deliver the capabilities needed for the future," he added.