Britain plans at least six new weapons factories in defence review
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British Defence Secretary John Healey (left) checking out a Storm Shadow missile, on an assembly line at the MBDA Storm Shadow factory in Stevenage, England, on May 31.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MANCHESTER, England - Britain will build at least six new factories producing weapons and explosives as part of a major review of its defence capabilities, the government said on May 31.
The £1.5 billion (S$2.6 billion) investment will be included in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), a 10-year plan for military equipment and services.
The SDR is expected to be published on June 2.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) added that it planned to procure up to 7,000 long-range weapons built in Britain.
Together, the measures announced on May 31 will create around 1,800 jobs, the MoD said.
“The hard-fought lessons from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine show a military is only as strong as the industry that stands behind them,” Defence Secretary John Healey said in a statement.
“We are strengthening the UK’s industrial base to better deter our adversaries and make the UK secure at home and strong abroad.”
The extra investment will mean Britain will spend around £6 billion on munitions in the current parliament, the MoD said.
Earlier on May 31, the MoD said it would spend an extra £1.5 billion to tackle the poor state of housing for the country’s armed forces. AFP
