BAE Systems has invested over £150m in its UK munitions facilities since 2022.
Massive Expansion in Artillery Shell Production
This will deliver a sixteen-fold increase in production capacity of 155mm artillery shells when its new explosive filling facility at Glascoed, South Wales, becomes operational this summer.
BAE Systems has also invested £8.5m in novel manufacturing methods over the last five years, leading to next generation explosives and propellants.
Innovative Propellant Manufacturing with Continuous Flow
The new methods will use continuous flow processing to synthesise explosive material and remove the need for Nitrocellulose and Nitroglycerine, which are high in demand across global supply chains, in propellant production.
The company says that the industrial phase of industrial capacity is expected by the end of 2026.
Strengthening Resilience and Reducing Production Risks
“Our leap forward in synthetic energetics and propellant manufacture will strengthen the UK’s supply chain resilience and support our ramp up of critical munitions production to meet growing demand in response to the increasingly uncertain world we’re living in. It also supports economic growth through high-skilled jobs and potential export opportunities,” said Steve Cardew, business development director at BAE Systems’ Maritime and Land Defence Solutions.
Cost-Efficient, Safe Technology for Munitions
A pilot has already demonstrated the technological breakthrough producing the explosives in small nodes. This technology would remove the need for a large-scale explosive factory. The new propellant formulation and associated manufacturing process have been demonstrated across a wide range of products from small arms to large calibre munitions.
The new technologies are intended to require lower investment and would offer greatly reduced running costs whilst providing enhanced safety in manufacture due to the continuous process meaning there is less explosive in process at any given time. BAE Systems continues to lead the advancement of safer, scalable manufacturing in defence.
