UK announces heavy investment in domestic defence industry

Great Britain will invest £1.5 billion in the domestic arms industry, to increase its defence production capacity in the face of growing threats and changing geopolitical landscape around the World.

British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer

PAP/EPA/NEIL HALL

British Defence Secretary, John Healey, told the media that these funds form part of plans for an “always-on” weapons pipeline and would support the procurement of up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons. The project includes, among other things, building six new weapons factories, especially focused on munitions manufacturing.

A complete 130-page report from Great Britain's complex defence policy review, conducted by the Labour government, will be unveiled on Monday.

National security and economic security go hand in hand.

In a more dangerous world, with rising cost of living, we’ll bolster British defence.

We will build new weapons factories, creating skilled jobs and supporting working people across the country.https://t.co/A8AW4QtHPZ

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 1, 2025

The study took into account the threat of Russian aggression against Ukraine, as well as mounting pressure from the United States under Donald Trump's administration, which is demanding that NATO countries increase their defence spending.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in February that this spending would increase from 2.3 percent to 2.5 percent of GDP in 2027. He added that defence spending is to increase to three percent of GDP by 2029.

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Source: IAR, The Guardian