Ambition must be matched by action in defence procurement

Craig Pyser, chief executive of contract manufacturer AMufacture and chairman of AMUK, said the Chancellor's Spring Forecast was a reminder of the scale of defence investment now flowing into UK industry — but warned that ambition must be matched by action on procurement.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves highlighted a series of defence investment commitments as she delivered the Spring Forecast to the House of Commons last week. They included £650 million to upgrade Typhoon fighter jets, the launch of a new Royal Navy frigate and a £1 billion deal with Leonardo for 23 new medium-lift helicopters.

Mr Pyser said: "The £1 billion helicopter deal with Leonardo is a significant commitment and, given the events of the past few days, a timely one. The world has changed dramatically and defence capability has to change with it. What is particularly significant about the Leonardo deal is the investment in Proteus, the UK’s first autonomous uncrewed air system.”

Immediate and compelling role to play
He continued: “The development of unmanned platforms like this is one of the areas where AM has the most immediate and compelling role to play. 3-D printing allows complex components to be produced rapidly, iterated quickly and manufactured on demand — exactly the qualities you need when you are developing and deploying autonomous systems at pace.”

“What conflicts in Ukraine and now the Middle East are demonstrating is that modern warfare demands manufacturing that is agile and continuously supplied. Traditional supply chains were not built for that — AM is. UK companies are already delivering production-scale components to defence programmes — not prototypes, but mission-ready parts produced on demand to the same rigorous standards as conventionally manufactured equivalents. The capability exists right now.”

Mr Pyser concluded: “The scale of defence investment announced is genuinely welcome. But its full value will only be realised if innovative British SMEs are embedded in the supply chain rather than locked out of it by procurement processes that have not kept pace with what AM can deliver. For AMUK members, the statement — while relatively light on new measures for business more broadly — reinforces the direction of travel on defence. The opportunity for the AM sector is real and growing. What we need now is procurement reform to match the ambition of the investment.”