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ConflictUK delivers first batch of British-made artillery barrel forgings to Ukraine
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The UK has delivered the first four British-made 105mm and 155mm artillery barrel forgings to Ukraine as part of a £61 million ($82.2 million) contract awarded to BAE Systems by the UK Ministry of Defence in 2025. Manufactured by Sheffield Forgemasters, the barrels will be finished and integrated in Ukraine to support Ukrainian artillery units. The program could produce up to 150 barrels, marking the first time in nearly two decades that such defense industrial activity has occurred in the UK. The exact Ukrainian systems to receive the barrels remain unclear, but Ukraine operates UK-donated L118 105mm guns and AS90 155mm howitzers. The Sheffield site appears heavily reliant on Ukrainian contracts, as the British Army is phasing out similar systems.
Source report
The UK has delivered the first British-made artillery barrels to Ukraine as an initial test to validate manufacturing processes ahead of full-scale integration with the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Contract Details
Agreed under a £61 million ($82.2 million) contract awarded to BAE Systems by the UK Ministry of Defence in 2025, the programme will deliver 105mm and 155mm artillery barrel forgings to Ukraine via a UK manufacturing facility.
- The first four barrels have been shipped as development forgings
- Ukrainian industry partners will validate the items for use in Ukraine's artillery units
- Up to 150 artillery barrels are expected to be manufactured in the UK as part of the agreement
Manufacturing and Integration
Manufactured by Sheffield Forgemasters before final finishing and integration in Ukraine, the barrels would "directly support Ukraine's battlefield capability while sustaining highly skilled jobs… across the UK defence industrial base," BAE Systems stated in a 15 July release.
The manufacture and delivery mark the first time in almost two decades that defence industrial activity of this kind has taken place in the United Kingdom, which is attempting to restart much of its lost manufacturing base.
Ukraine's Artillery Systems
It is unknown which artillery systems the barrels will equip within the Ukrainian military, which operates a mix of long-range fires platforms donated by Western allies, as well as its domestic Bohdana 155mm howitzer.
However, Ukraine is known to operate:
- The L118 105mm light gun donated by the UK
- The British Army's entire AS90 155mm self-propelled artillery fleet
The UK also opened a Sheffield manufacturing site for the M777 155mm towed artillery system, a type widely operated by the US Army. The US supplied the M119, a licensed version of the L119 NATO-variant of the UK L118 105mm artillery.
UK Defence Industrial Context
The site appears primarily dependent on Ukraine for its business, with the British Army not considering operating the M777 due to its immobility. The UK also looks to phase out its smaller 105mm L118 towed artillery in 2030.
In time, the UK's future RCH 155 mobile 155mm artillery platform could offer opportunity for UK industry, although this is yet to be finalised with Germany, which is leading the joint programme development.
Source
Army TechnologyWestern
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UK delivers first British-made artillery barrels to Ukraine under £61M contract