Rheinmetall has officially opened its new UK Gun Hall in Telford, marking the return of sovereign large-calibre weapon production to Britain for the first time in around two decades.
The facility was inaugurated during a ceremony attended by Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Rheinmetall AG chief executive Armin Papperger. The new operation forms part of Rheinmetall’s wider investment of more than £200 million in its UK business over the past five years and is intended to strengthen the country’s defence manufacturing capabilities while supporting future British Army programmes.
The Telford facility will manufacture 120mm and 155mm weapon systems, including components for the Challenger 3 main battle tank and future artillery platforms. Covering 11,500m², the plant has the capacity to produce up to 245 gun barrels annually across both calibres, together with more than 50 breeches per year when operating at peak output.
Rheinmetall said the investment demonstrates its long-term commitment to the UK defence sector and supports the Government’s ambition to use defence spending as a driver of economic growth and industrial development. The company currently employs around 685 people in Telford, including 35 at the new Gun Hall, with workforce numbers expected to exceed 100 as production activity expands.
The opening also represents a key element of the industrial partnership between the UK and Germany established under the Trinity House Agreement. Rheinmetall said the facility has been designed to meet increasing demand from the UK, NATO allies and international customers while strengthening manufacturing resilience and collective defence capabilities.
One of the most notable aspects of the project is the speed of its delivery. Rheinmetall transformed the previously empty facility into a fully operational manufacturing centre in just eight months. During that period the company installed advanced production equipment, transferred specialist manufacturing expertise to the UK workforce and commenced production in line with programme schedules.
Manufacture of breeches and breech blocks began in May 2026, followed by barrel production in June. The successful completion of the first UK-produced breech, breech block and barrel demonstrated that these highly complex weapon components can once again be manufactured domestically.
Looking ahead, Rheinmetall intends to incorporate steel supplied by
Sheffield Forgemasters into production, further strengthening UK supply chains and supporting British industry.
A significant element of the programme has been investment in skills development. Employees from the UK operation undertook extensive training at Rheinmetall’s manufacturing facility in Unterlüß, Germany, gaining expertise in precision engineering, quality assurance and specialist weapons production before bringing that knowledge back to Telford. The company has also recruited engineering and manufacturing talent from across the local region.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Britain is back in the business of making the weapons that our Armed Forces need to defend the nation against our adversaries. From an empty site to full production in eight months, this is rapid reindustrialisation in action. One hundred skilled jobs in world-class manufacturing and the return of large-calibre weapon production to UK soil for the first time in twenty years – this is what defence as an engine for growth looks like.”
Rebecca Richards, managing director of Rheinmetall UK, added: “The official opening of our UK Gun Hall is a landmark moment for Rheinmetall UK and for Britain’s defence industrial base. By transferring specialist knowledge from Germany and developing a highly skilled British workforce here in Telford, we are creating skilled jobs, supporting British businesses and building the industrial capacity needed to equip our Armed Forces while investing in the long-term prosperity of the UK.”