"The explosives facility at Glascoed, south Wales, was expected to bring a 16-fold increase in Britain's capacity to make artillery shells, replenishing dwindling stock and increasing supplies for Ukraine. Production was due to start last summer but has yet to begin, the Guardian understands. Approached for comment, BAE Systems confirmed the delay, saying it was caused by a decision made mid-construction, in 2025, to double the amount of capacity at Glascoed."
"BAE has said Glascoed will drastically increase production of 155mm artillery rounds, delivering 16 times as many as in 2023. The Nato-standard shells are typically fired from mobile field guns. Francis Tusa, a defence analyst, said 155mm rounds were the bedrock of all armies when they go into war, so having the right stocks was essential. He said the failure to open Glascoed on time was a blow to those plans and that the delays were obviously very frustrating, not least for the British army."
A new explosives factory at Glascoed in south Wales remains unopened more than six months after its planned launch, delaying a 16-fold boost in Britain's artillery shell production intended to replenish dwindling stocks and increase supplies for Ukraine. BAE Systems said the delay resulted from a mid-construction decision in 2025 to double the facility's capacity. Glascoed is part of a long-standing munitions complex and previously relied on imported RDX from the US and France. Ministers seek greater domestic explosives production to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers amid concerns about US policy unpredictability. The delay compounds wider defence procurement and spending uncertainties.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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