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The UK will build at least six new munitions and energetics factories and thousands more long-range weapons to strengthen Britain鈥檚 Armed Forces and create new jobs across the country.

Through the Strategic Defence Review 鈥� published in the coming days - the UK鈥檚 defence and deterrence is being bolstered with thousands of long-range weapons and a new 拢1.5 billion government investment in munitions and energetics factories.

Together the investment will back around 1,800 highly-skilled jobs across the UK, putting money in the pockets of working people, and supporting the government鈥檚 Plan for Change by driving growth in every region and nation.

The SDR recommends creating an 鈥榓lways on鈥� munitions production capacity in the UK allowing production to be scaled up at speed if needed. It says the MOD should also lay the industrial foundations for an uplift in munitions stockpiles to meet the demand of high-tempo warfare.

Taking the lessons from Ukraine which shows that our military is only as strong as the industry that stands behind it, the measures will boost British jobs while improving the warfighting readiness of both British Armed Forces and industry.

The additional funding will see UK munitions spend hit 拢6 billion this Parliament. It follows the Prime Minister鈥檚 historic commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, recognising the critical importance of military readiness in an era of heightened global uncertainty.聽

Commitments include:

• 拢1.5 billion in an 鈥渁lways on鈥� pipeline for munitions and building at least 6 new energetics and munitions factories in the UK.聽Creating more than 1,000 skilled manufacturing jobs, the factories will produce munitions and energetics, which are key components of weapons, including propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics.

• Up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons聽for the UK Armed Forces, supporting around 800 defence jobs.The lessons from Ukraine demonstrate the importance of long-range weaponry and boosting our military capabilities.

The SDR sets a path for the next decade and beyond to transform defence and make the UK secure at home and strong abroad. It ends the hollowing out of our Armed Forces and will also drive innovation, jobs and growth across the country, allowing the UK to lead in a stronger NATO.

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said:

The hard-fought lessons from Putin鈥檚 illegal invasion of Ukraine show a military is only as strong as the industry that stands behind them.聽

We are strengthening the UK鈥檚 industrial base to better deter our adversaries and make the UK secure at home and strong abroad.聽

We will embrace the Strategic Defence Review; making defence an engine for economic growth and boosting skilled jobs in every nation and region as part of our Government鈥檚 Plan for Change.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

A strong economy needs a strong national defence, and investing in weaponry and munitions and backing nearly 2,000 jobs across Britain in doing so is proof the two go hand-in-hand.

We are delivering both security for working people in an uncertain world and good jobs, putting more money in people鈥檚 pockets as part of our Plan for Change.

The new investments will form an 鈥榓lways-on鈥� approach for priority munitions. They will provide a steady drumbeat of investment to industry sustaining a thriving defence industrial base that drives growth and jobs to deliver on the Plan for Change, while strengthening the UK鈥檚 commitment to NATO.聽

The funding will help transform the UK鈥檚 Armed Forces readiness and ability to endure in prolonged campaigns, providing the industrial foundations needed to support our Armed Forces in warfare, as demonstrated by the conflict in Ukraine.