The British company BAE Systems will open a 25 million pound artillery factory in Sheffield as part of supporting Ukrainian forces in the fight against Russia.
Points of attention
- BAE Systems is opening a £25 million artillery factory in Sheffield to support Ukrainian forces in the fight against Russia by producing M777 howitzers.
- The lack of raw materials poses a challenge in fully satisfying Ukraine's weapon needs, leading to increased production by BAE Systems and other defense companies worldwide.
- Rheinmetall and NIOA in Australia are also stepping up production of artillery shells to bolster Ukraine's army amid the conflict with Russia.
- BAE Systems has received contracts to manufacture spare parts and repair M777 howitzers for Ukraine, enhancing their combat effectiveness.
- The intense use of weapons in Ukraine has led to the need for upgrades and repairs, with BAE securing multimillion-dollar contracts to meet the demand.
BAE Systems opens a new artillery factory
The company said the plant will begin production of M777 howitzers next year, creating 50 jobs.
This effectively reverses the company's decision to curtail artillery production in the UK as the war in Ukraine requires weapons.
As noted, many howitzers, which were transferred to Ukraine by the USA, Canada and Australia, need to be modernized or repaired. As a result, BAE received multimillion-dollar contracts for the production of spare parts and repairs. In January of this year, the Pentagon awarded the company $50 million (£40 million) to resume production of titanium chassis for this artillery.
The managing director of the British division of BAE weapons systems, John Borton, describing the intensive use of weapons in Ukraine, stated:
Everything has a technical lifespan, and with the intensity of use we're seeing, we're approaching a limit we've never seen before.
The company has also entered into agreements with the government to replenish stocks of ammunition in the UK, including the 155 mm rounds used in the M777 howitzers. BAE previously said eight unnamed countries had expressed interest in placing new orders for the M777 following the announcement of the resumption of production.
Defense companies around the world have increased the production of weapons
Defense companies around the world have increased weapons production against the background of Russia's war against Ukraine, but due to the lack of raw materials and long production cycles, it is still not possible to replenish the stockpiles of weapons and meet Ukraine's needs.
Thus, the ammunition production plant in the Australian state of Queensland, owned by the German company Rheinmetall and the local contractor NIOA, produces tens of thousands of artillery shells for Ukraine. Rheinmetall plans to increase production next year by 25%, to about 55,000 shells per year. At the same time, NIOA claims that it can produce more than 100,000 shells per year, subject to increased capital investment.
In general, defense companies around the world have ramped up production of products ranging from ammunition to rocket engines and missiles to replenish the stockpiles of their countries that have transferred arms to Ukraine.
