UK artillery shell plant for Ukraine delayed for months: What went wrong
The company was expected to boost shell production sixteenfold (photo: Getty Images)
The opening of a UK artillery shell plant meant to supply Ukraine has been delayed by more than six months, according to the Guardian.
The plant in Glascoed, South Wales, was expected to boost Britain's artillery shell production capacity by up to 16 times, replenish depleted stockpiles, and increase deliveries to Ukraine.
Production was originally scheduled to begin in the summer of 2025, but the launch has still not taken place.
In response to a request for comment, BAE Systems confirmed the delay, saying it was caused by a decision made midway through construction last year to double the plant's capacity.
"After construction began, we took the strategic decision to double the output capacity beyond our original design to increase our 155mm production capacity by up to sixteenfold, which had an impact on the schedule," BAE Systems spokesperson noted.
BAE Systems produces NATO-standard 155 mm artillery shells, typically used in mobile field guns.
Defense analyst Francis Tusa noted that 155 mm shells are "the bedrock of all armies when they go into war," making adequate stockpiles "essential."
The Guardian also reported that BAE previously produced between 3,000 and 5,000 shells per year, meaning that even a 16-fold increase would result in a maximum of about 80,000 shells annually.
By comparison, German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall opened a new plant in 2025, which is expected to enable the production of up to 1.1 million shells per year by 2027.
"The lack of a ramp-up of UK onshore in 155 mm ammunition means that any army deployments to eastern Europe, or reinforcements to Estonia, would have, currently, enough 155 mm ammunition for a few days. Even with 64,000 shells, they could fight for maybe a month," analyst Tusa said.
The Guardian added that the UK government plans to build six additional ammunition factories in the coming years, though their locations have not yet been disclosed.
Other production efforts
In September 2025, it was reported that German defense giant Rheinmetall would build a new shell production plant in a secure region of Ukraine, and in January, the company's CEO confirmed that Ukraine had allocated land for the project.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently visited the first German-Ukrainian joint drone manufacturing facility in Munich and presented the first jointly produced strike drone.
