A first in two decades

The UK Gun Hall in Telford opened on Thursday, 22 October 2026, and large-calibre weapon components are being manufactured on British soil again for the first time in 20 years. Rheinmetall UK, the British arm of the German arms maker, has started producing gun tubes and breech components for 120 mm and 155 mm weapon systems. Rheinmetall says the parts will serve the RCH 155 and future artillery platforms. The unit had sat unused before the work began, and the government said it reached full production capacity in only eight months. The site supports 100 highly skilled jobs.

Wes Streeting attended the opening ceremony, and BBC reporting gives his title as defence secretary. He presented the plant as evidence that the country is rebuilding its industrial base at speed.

“From an empty site to full production in eight months, this is rapid reindustrialisation in action.”

Workforce and training

Specialist staff were recruited from the Telford area, and before the opening they trained at a Rheinmetall plant in Germany in accurate machining, quality control and specialist weapons work. The company says it will expand its headcount as output climbs. Armin Papperger, the chief executive of Rheinmetall, tied the Telford facility to a longer commitment to British industry and to the country's manufacturing footprint.

“We are committed to investing in the UK for the long term, expanding our industrial footprint and working together to deliver the capabilities needed for the future.”

Wider programme and delays

The group is also engaged in the Boxer combat vehicle programme and in an upgrade of the Challenger tank fleet, so the Telford unit sits alongside existing British defence work. Not every project is running to plan, however. Some UK defence schemes are facing delays because the timetable for lifting defence spending to 3% of GDP remains uncertain. That 3% level is a key intermediate step toward NATO's 3.5% target by 2035.

Background and the 2024 accord

The Telford opening comes after the United Kingdom and Germany signed a new defence cooperation agreement in 2024. John Healey, whose title is described differently across reports, has said he wants the defence industry to help drive Britain's reindustrialisation. The government presented the Telford output as proof that its rearmament plan can move from idle buildings to full production in a matter of months, a claim that will be tested as the workforce grows and the remaining projects come online.