Tank barrel production returns to UK after 20 years
The defence secretary says the UK is "back in the business of making weapons" for its armed forces.
Tank barrel production returns to UK after 20 years
Rheinmetall said the site has generated 100 jobs and that it plans to grow its workforce further in the future.
Gun barrel production for tanks has come back to the UK for the first time in 20 years with the launch of a new manufacturing plant.
The UK Gun Hall in Telford, operated by German defence company Rheinmetall, has created 100 jobs and will produce barrels and breaches for large calibre weapons.
Defence secretary Wes Streeting attended the opening ceremony on Thursday and said Britain was "back in the business of making weapons" for its armed forces.
"From an empty site to full production in eight months, this is rapid reindustrialisation in action," he said.
"One hundred skilled jobs in world class manufacturing and the return of large calibre weapon production to UK soil for the first time in 20 years - this is what defence as an engine for growth looks like," Streeting added.
According to Rheinmetall, the barrels and breaches will be manufactured for both 120m and 155mm weapon systems, including the RCH 155 and future artillery platforms.
The company is already part of the UK's Boxer combat vehicle programme and is also upgrading the country's Challenger tanks.
Wes Streeting said the opening of the facility would boost Britain's defence capabilities.
Specialist workers from Telford have been hired, and the company said it would increase its workforce as production scales up.
Before the factory opened, staff spent time at a Rheinmetall site in Germany, where they were trained in precision manufacturing, quality assurance and specialist weapon production.
Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, said the gun hall was an "important milestone" that would strengthen the country's industrial base "for decades to come".
"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," he added.