Tank barrel production has returned to the UK, with Rheinmetall UK beginning work at a new gun hall in Telford.
The facility supports 100 highly skilled jobs and will manufacture barrels and breeches for 120mm and 155mm weapon systems, including the RCH 155 and future artillery platforms. Rheinmetall says its workforce will grow as production increases.
Training a specialist workforce
Local employees have been recruited and trained for precision manufacturing, quality assurance and specialist weapons production. Some workers gained experience at Rheinmetall’s facility in Unterlüß, Germany, before returning to Telford.
The company took over the site in autumn 2025 and reached full production within eight months. The project is also expected to support longer-term partnerships with British small and medium-sized businesses, strengthening the domestic supply chain.
The gun hall was officially opened by Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, alongside Chief of the General Staff General Sir Roly Walker and Rheinmetall AG chief executive Armin Papperger. It forms part of wider UK-Germany industrial cooperation under the Trinity House Agreement, signed in October 2024.
Why it matters for Britain
The Telford site restores large-calibre weapons manufacturing in the UK and gives local engineering workers access to high-value jobs. Expanding domestic production could also create further opportunities for British suppliers as Rheinmetall’s defence programmes grow.
