A British manufacturing boom! UK defence firm to ramp up production of explosives so we no longer rely on the US and France for arms

By PERKIN AMALARAJ

Published: 23:39 BST, 20 April 2025 | Updated: 23:44 BST, 20 April 2025

Britain is set to massively increase its production of explosives in order to forgo a reliance on the US and France for ammunition. 

Sites will be erected by BAE Systems across the UK to produce RDX explosives, used in ammunition for British Army guns and other weapons. 

The British defence company will also be looking to build three new manufacturing sites to add ‘resilience’, should one come under attack. 

Currently, the firm imports RDX explosives from two main sources – the US and France.  

But by the summer, BAE will have increased its production rate of 155mm artillery shells, the standard ammunition used by NATO, 16-fold compared to two years ago, the Times reported. 

The company is the only one in the UK to produce these rounds, much of which has been given to Ukraine to fend Russia off, leaving reserves too low given the risk of being unprepared for another war breaking out.  

It is hoping to soon be in a position where it produces a surplus of RDX explosives, allowing it to sell them to other countries without contravening the US’ International Traffic in Arms Regulations, which prevents arms with American components from being sold to unwanted countries.   

Steve Cardew, the business development director at BAE Systems’ Maritime and Land Defence Solutions, said: ‘The whole challenge for our industry is around production scale up and creating enough industrial capacity to effectively match Russia and other hostile nations.

An employee manoeuvres 155mm artillery shell casings during their manufacturing process at the BAE Systems factory in Washington, near Newcastle upon Tyne in north-east England on November 8, 2023

A robot arm manoeuvres a 155mm shell casing in the forge during the manufacturing process at the BAE Systems factory in Washington, near Newcastle upon Tyne in north-east England on November 8, 2023

‘One large facility is clearly a big security threat. If you have dispersed facilities, it is much more secure.’

‘Making sure we have our own access to our own supply chains is really important. We clearly have enough supply chain access for what we have today but going forward, continuing to rely on that will generate risk and therefore we are keen to make sure that the UK has its own supply chain,’ he said. 

Asked about concerns over Trump’s erratic behaviour, he said: ‘What is going on in the US is clearly one facet of a general view we have got that the world is becoming increasingly unstable and therefore we need to protect ourselves and our supply chain accordingly. I don’t think it is just about the US.’

He said the need for such unique technology was at an ‘all time high’ and had ‘tremendous potential’.

While BAE’s ramped up production may be good for Britain, it may end up annoying Trump, who in February urged Britain and other allies to buy more American weapons to strengthen the NATO alliance.

A Challenger 2 battle tank

A Challenger 2 MBT firing as part of the Royal Welsh Battle Group during Exercise Prairie Lightning

The President appeared to be attempting to leverage US commitment to European security against his country’s economic prosperity.

His bid to increase US weapons sales by aligning them to foreign policy was repeated by aides at the NATO defence ministers’ summit in Brussels, according to news organisation Bloomberg. 

US national security spokesman Brian Hughes said: ‘President Trump and his administration are engaging our NATO allies to ensure all members carry their share of the burden and meet their defence spending obligations.

‘Getting our allies to meet those obligations strengthens NATO.’

America is expected to emphasise that if European states buy more US equipment, it will improve ‘interoperability’ between different NATO members.

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A British manufacturing boom! UK defence firm to ramp up production of explosives so we no longer rely on the US and France for arms

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