First British-made artillery barrels delivered to Ukraine under £61 mln contract

The first British-made artillery barrels are being delivered to Ukraine under a £61 million contract with Sheffield Forgemasters, marking the first time forged artillery barrels have been produced in the UK in nearly two decades.

Production Details

• Calibres: 105mm and 155mm gun barrels
• Total order: 150 barrels
• Manufacturer: Sheffield Forgemasters (Yorkshire)
• Contract awarded by: UK Government to BAE Systems
• Announced by: President Zelensky last year

The first four barrels have been shipped as development forgings, allowing Ukraine to test its own manufacturing processes. The Sheffield production line is now turning out eight forgings per month. The barrels are forged in Yorkshire before being sent to Ukraine for finishing and integration.

Economic and Employment Impact

The contract supports:

• Hundreds of jobs in Sheffield
• More than 60 businesses across the UK supply chain

Government Response

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis visited Sheffield Forgemasters for the first time as a minister, having previously toured the site as Mayor of South Yorkshire. He stated:

"Steel forged in Sheffield defended Britain in its darkest hours. The barrels produced here in South Yorkshire – the first made in Britain in almost two decades – will help Ukraine on the battlefield, while creating good, skilled jobs in the UK."

"Our Defence Investment Plan backed by £298 billion is delivering greater national security for our nation and our allies, and opportunities for people across the UK. This is about rearming Europe by reindustrialising places like South Yorkshire."

Sheffield Forgemasters Background

• Specialisation: Manufactures specialist steel forgings and castings for critical defence programmes
• Workforce: 780 skilled staff
• Ownership: Owned by the Ministry of Defence since nationalisation in 2021 (driven principally by the need to secure supply for the nuclear submarine programme)
• Government investment: Over £420 million in additional funding last year to bolster sovereign steelmaking for defence, including gun barrels and submarine components
• Recapitalisation programme: Building a new 13,000-tonne forging line and a 30,000-square-metre machining hall as part of an MoD-funded £1.3 billion programme

Broader Context

The barrel work builds on the opening of BAE Systems' new £25 million artillery factory in Sheffield, which became operational earlier this year and has created a further 100 highly skilled jobs, consolidating the city's position as the home of UK howitzer production.

The loss of domestic barrel forging capability had long been identified as a gap in the UK's defence industrial base, with barrels previously sourced from overseas suppliers. The war in Ukraine—where artillery has dominated the battlefield and barrel wear has proven a constant drain on gun availability—has lent the shortfall new urgency.

The Sheffield production forms part of the UK's wider package of military support for Ukraine. The MoD states that the return of domestic barrel manufacture strengthens the defence industrial base while delivering skilled employment and investment in communities across the country. Forgemasters' sovereign steelmaking also serves civil nuclear and offshore energy work alongside its military programmes.