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ConflictUK delivers first batch of 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. The barrels, forged by Sheffield Forgemasters and finished in Ukraine, are intended to support Ukrainian artillery capability while restarting UK defense manufacturing after nearly two decades. Up to 150 barrels may be produced under the agreement. The specific Ukrainian artillery systems to receive the barrels remain unclear, but Ukraine operates UK-donated L118 105mm light guns and AS90 155mm self-propelled howitzers. The Sheffield site also produces M777 155mm towed artillery components, though the British Army does not plan to operate the M777 due to mobility concerns and is phasing out its 105mm L118 by 2030. The site appears heavily reliant on Ukrainian contracts for its business.
Source report
The return of heavy manufacturing is a welcome boost for the UK's defence sector. Credit: BAE Systems
Overview
The UK has delivered the first British-made artillery barrels to Ukraine as an initial test to determine manufacturing processes ahead of full-scale integration with the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Agreed under a £61m ($82.2m) 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.
Key Details
- First delivery: Four barrels shipped as development forgings, enabling Ukrainian industry partners to validate the items for use in Ukraine's artillery units
- Production scale: Up to 150 artillery barrels expected to be manufactured in the UK as part of the agreement
- Manufacturing process: Forged by Sheffield Forgemasters, with final finishing and integration completed in Ukraine
- Contract value: £61m ($82.2m)
Strategic Significance
According to a BAE Systems release on 15 July, the barrels would "directly support Ukraine's battlefield capability while sustaining highly skilled jobs… across the UK defence industrial base."
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.
A 2019 image of the Sheffield Forgemasters site, which has received a new lease of life with the artillery barrel deal. Credit: Tom Sanderson via Shutterstock.com
Ukraine's Artillery Systems
It is unknown which artillery systems the barrels will equip within the Ukrainian military, which operates a vast 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
UK Manufacturing Context
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.
Notably, the site appears primarily dependent on Ukraine for its business, as the British Army does not consider operating the M777 due to its immobility and plans to phase out its smaller 105mm L118 towed artillery by 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