Britain announced plans to significantly increase arms production, building at least six new factories.
British Defence Secretary John Healey has just announced an ambitious plan for extensive rearmament, including an investment of $2 billion to build at least six new munitions and explosives manufacturing plants.
This move comes ahead of the UK government's Defence Strategy Review to be released on June 2nd.
According to the plan, in addition to building new factories, the UK will also proceed with the procurement of more than 7,000 domestically produced long-range weapons, including drones and missiles.
Secretary Healey also pledged to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2034.
In a statement on May 31 (local time), Healey emphasized that the painful lessons from Russia's military actions in Ukraine show that military strength can only be sustained when backed by a commensurate defense industry.
"We are strengthening the UK's industrial base to enhance our ability to deter rivals, ensure national security, and maintain a strong position on the international stage," he said.
The conflict in Ukraine has exposed significant shortcomings in Western countries' arms production capabilities. According to sources, several senior British officers have been warning for months about the depletion of their arms stockpiles.
However, opposition politicians have questioned the timing of the plan's announcement, pointing out that arms procurement has stalled over the past year.
James Cartlidge, who holds the equivalent of Defence Minister in the Conservative opposition cabinet, stated: "We welcome the investment in new munitions plants, but we don't know when they will be ready to operate, only that these orders should have been placed months ago."
The United Kingdom is one of Ukraine's strongest supporters in its conflict with Russia. NATO members in Europe are also seeking to increase military support for Kyiv amid concerns that the US, under President Donald Trump, might cut aid.
On the Russian side, Moscow has repeatedly warned that Western countries' military aid to Ukraine would only escalate the conflict without changing the ultimate outcome.
Russian officials also accused former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of encouraging Ukraine to abandon peace talks in the spring of 2022 – a claim Johnson has denied. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the denial a "blatant lie".
