The Government has taken a major step towards strengthening national security by identifying 13 sites across the country for new factories to produce munitions and military explosives.
The move marks the next phase in building the “factories of the future” to boost Britain’s warfighting readiness.
In a speech in Westminster, the Defence Secretary announced that industry is now invited to submit proposals to meet the Ministry of Defence’s requirements for energetics production. He confirmed that engineering design work has already begun on the first factory, with construction expected to start within the next year.
Potential sites include Grangemouth, Teesside, and Milford Haven, alongside locations in:
- Monmouthshire
- Cumbria
- Ayrshire
- Shropshire
- Cheshire
- Derbyshire
- Essex
- Worcestershire
- Hampshire
- Pembrokeshire
- Stirlingshire
The new factories will produce essential components such as propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics, supporting the UK Armed Forces and enabling continued assistance to Ukraine.
John Healey, Defence Secretary, said:
“For too long our proud industrial heartlands saw jobs go away and not come back. We are changing that. Bringing new hope. This is a fundamental shift from the failed approach of the past.
“This is a new era of threat, but the opportunity of this new era is a defence dividend from our record investment, measured in good jobs, thriving businesses, new skills for the British people.
“We are making defence an engine for growth, unambiguously backing British jobs and British skills as we make the UK better ready to fight and better able to deter future conflicts. This is the path that delivers national and economic security.”
The announcement follows the Strategic Defence Review published in June, which committed £1.5 billion of additional investment for energetics and munitions, including an “always-on” munitions pipeline. The government aims to build at least six new factories this Parliament, creating 1,000 jobs and driving defence-led growth across the UK.
The MOD has published its requirements for energetics production in a Planned Procurement Note (PPN), detailing nine key energetic materials and setting out a multi-year investment plan to support onshore production.
The Defence Secretary also revealed that two new drone factories will open this week, reinforcing the UK’s position at the cutting edge of defence innovation. These developments form part of the government’s wider strategy to deliver security and economic growth, backed by record defence investment and a new £11 billion annual ‘Invest’ budget.
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