UK Launches Investment in New Weapons Manufacturing
(MENAFN) The United Kingdom is set to channel USD2 billion into establishing new arms manufacturing facilities, according to Defense Secretary John Healey, who revealed the extensive rearmament initiative.
This decision precedes the release of the government's Strategic Defense Review scheduled for Monday.
The strategy involves building a minimum of six fresh factories dedicated to munitions and explosives, alongside acquiring over 7,000 domestically made long-range weapons, such as drones and missiles.
Additionally, Healey committed to increasing defense expenditure to 3 percent of the nation's GDP by the year 2034.
Healey emphasized the importance of a robust defense industry by stating, “The hard-fought lessons from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine show a military is only as strong as the industry that stands behind it.”
He added that the goal is to “strengthen the UK’s industrial base to better deter our adversaries and make the UK secure at home and strong abroad.”
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has revealed critical deficiencies in the arms production capacity of Western countries.
Senior officials from the UK military have raised concerns for several months about diminished weapon stockpiles, as reported by a news agency.
Meanwhile, opposition members of parliament have questioned the timing of the announcement, noting delays in weapon procurement over the previous year.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
