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British-made artillery barrels are being delivered to Ukraine, part of the UK’s enduring support.
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150 barrels are being produced by Yorkshire defence company Sheffield Forgemasters through a £61 million contract to BAE Systems, supporting hundreds of jobs.
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Defence Secretary visits Sheffield Forgemasters to meet some of the skilled workers benefitting from the UK’s investment in defence.
The first of 150 British-made artillery barrels are being provided to Ukraine to strengthen their defence under a £61 million contract that supports hundreds of jobs in Sheffield.
The 105mm and 155mm gun barrels are being produced at Sheffield Forgemasters under a contract awarded by the UK Government to BAE Systems and announced by President Zelenskyy last year. This is the first time forged artillery barrels have been produced in the UK for almost two decades.
Sheffield Forgemasters manufactures specialist steel forgings and castings used in critical defence programmes and employs 780 skilled staff. More than 60 businesses across the UK supply chain also stand to benefit from the programme. Owned by the Ministry of Defence, Forgemasters is a powerful example of how defence investment drives reindustrialisation — with its sovereign steelmaking capabilities serving not only military programmes but also civil nuclear and offshore energy sectors.
The company is building a new 13,000 tonne forging line and a 30,000 square metre machining hall to underpin supply for UK defence programmes as part of a Ministry of Defence funded £1.3 billion recapitalisation programme.
The announcement comes as Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MBE MP visits the company for the first time as a Minister, having previously met with skilled workers and toured the facilities as Mayor of South Yorkshire.
The production of gun barrels builds on the opening of BAE Systems’ new £25 million artillery factory in Sheffield, which became operational earlier this year. The factory has created a further 100 highly skilled jobs in the region and cements Sheffield’s position as the home of UK howitzer production. These production lines show the benefits of the £298 billion Defence Investment Plan for UK jobs across the nation.
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MBE MP said
Steel forged in Sheffield defended Britain in its darkest hours. The barrels produced here in South Yorkshire – the first made in Britain in almost two decades – will help Ukraine on the battlefield, while creating good, skilled jobs in the UK.
Our Defence Investment Plan backed by £298 billion is delivering greater national security for our nation and our allies, and opportunities for people across the UK. This is about rearming Europe by reindustrialising places like South Yorkshire.
The first four barrels have been shipped for use as development forgings, enabling Ukraine to test their own manufacturing processes, and production in Sheffield is producing eight forgings a month.
The barrels are produced in Yorkshire before being sent to Ukraine for finishing and integration, contributing to Ukraine’s battlefield equipment while also supporting skilled jobs and supply chains across the UK.
The work in Sheffield forms part of the UK’s package of military support for Ukraine.
The return of domestic production of these barrels strengthens the UK’s defence industrial base, helps to create skilled employment opportunities and delivers investment in communities across the country.
The government invested over £420 million of additional funding in Sheffield Forgemasters last year, bolstering sovereign steelmaking capability for defence, including gun barrels and nuclear submarines.