LONDON, June 1 – Defence Secretary John Healey has unveiled a £1.5 billion investment to bolster UK munitions production, declaring it a “message to Moscow” while confirming troop numbers won’t increase until after the next election.
The funding, announced ahead of Monday’s publication of the government’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR), will establish at least six new munitions factories across the UK. It supports the procurement of up to 7,000 domestically built long-range weapons and aims to create approximately 1,800 jobs.
This initiative raises total UK munitions spending to £6 billion during the current Parliament. Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the SDR as a “radical blueprint” promising a “wave of investments” in shipbuilding, drone technology, and cyber defences.
“We are strengthening the UK’s industrial base to better deter our adversaries,” Healey stated, citing lessons from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “A military is only as strong as the industry that stands behind them… making defence an engine for economic growth.”
Key Defence Announcements:
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Munitions Surge: £1.5bn for factories producing long-range weapons, increasing total munitions spend to £6bn this Parliament.
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‘Always On’ Production: Establishing sustained domestic capacity for high-tempo warfare needs.
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Military Housing: Over £1.5bn allocated for urgent repairs to service family accommodation, targeting issues like faulty boilers, roofing, and damp. “For years, we’ve forced their families to live in substandard homes,” Healey admitted during a visit to Cambridgeshire barracks.
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Defence Spending Pledge: Healey confirmed “no doubt” the UK would reach NATO’s 3% of GDP target by the mid-2030s, but ruled out significant troop increases before the next election.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves linked defence to economic strategy: “A strong economy needs a strong national defence… investing in weaponry… and backing nearly 2,000 jobs… is proof the two go hand-in-hand.”
Opposition Criticism:
Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge condemned the pace of Labour’s plans:
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“Procurement has been largely switched off for the past year… an effective freeze on new orders.”
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“These orders should have been placed months ago… We need greater ambition for the pace and scale of rearmament.”
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Accused Labour of prioritizing welfare over defence, demanding 3% GDP spending by the end of the current Parliament.
The announcements respond to the SDR’s findings, emphasizing industrial resilience and addressing chronic underinvestment in defence infrastructure and military housing.
