Britain opened Rheinmetall’s Telford Gun Hall on Oct. 22, adding domestic capacity for artillery components as the government ties defense production to jobs, supply chains and military readiness.
Rheinmetall says work on breeches and breech blocks began in May, with barrel production starting the following month. The 11,500-square-meter hall is designed for peak annual output of up to 245 barrels and more than 50 breeches. The Ministry of Defence says it makes components for 120 mm and 155 mm weapon systems, including the Army’s RCH 155 and future artillery platforms.
The Ministry says the facility supports 100 highly skilled jobs. Rheinmetall reports 35 people currently work at the hall and expects the workforce there to exceed 100 as production develops. The company separately reports about 685 employees across its Telford operations.
Defence Equipment & Support said a £53 million contract awarded in March for long-lead production of 37 RCH 155 systems allocates £30 million to Gun Hall development.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting argued that domestic production would help Britain maintain manufacturing capacity and replenish stocks. He said the hall would contribute more than £400 million to the UK economy; Rheinmetall’s May 2025 forecast also projected a contribution above £400 million, spread over a decade. Streeting acknowledged that defense investment brings costs for taxpayers and requires trade-offs with other government spending.
The opening is part of the UK-Germany Trinity House Agreement, announced in October 2024 to deepen defense cooperation.
The Ministry of Defence described the opening as a return to UK barrel production after 20 years. Its 2024 announcement gave a 10-year gap, while Rheinmetall said in May 2025 that the capability had been lost since 2016. A July 2026 Ministry release also reported 105 mm and 155 mm barrel production at Sheffield Forgemasters.
Streeting said the government would soon explain how communities across the UK could benefit from defense spending, but gave no date for that announcement.
