The new BAE Systems plant for manufacturing 155mm artillery ammunition, located in Glascoed, has not yet begun operations. This is despite earlier plans to start production in the summer of 2025 and to supply both domestic demand and Ukraine.
According to The Guardian, the opening has been delayed by six months. The facility was expected to boost shell output sixteenfold through the introduction of new explosive manufacturing technologies. It was also designed to be highly automated and require minimal personnel.
Read more: Rheinmetall Built Europe's Largest 155mm Shell Plant in Just 15 Months But There's Catch
BAE Systems confirmed the delay, explaining that it followed a mid-2025 decision to double the plant's originally planned capacity. The company reports that construction has been completed and that testing is currently underway, although no revised launch date has been announced.
The Glascoed facility is part of a broader £150 million (approximately $204 million) investment program aimed at expanding munitions production across the United Kingdom. Notably, it is the only project within this package that has not yet become operational.
Under the production scheme, 155mm shell bodies are manufactured in Washington before being transported to Glascoed for filling with explosives. The explosives themselves are to be produced on site, reducing dependence on imports from the United States and France.
BAE Systems' current annual output is reported at just 3,000 to 5,000 artillery shells. Even with a sixteenfold increase, production would reach approximately 80,000 rounds per year — a relatively modest figure, particularly compared to Germany's stated goal of producing 1.1 million shells annually by 2027.
From Defense Express' perspective, delays in launching such a facility are clearly a negative signal. However, if the postponement is indeed tied to doubling planned capacity, the delay may ultimately prove justified — as 80,000 rounds per year is significantly better than 40,000.
Beyond domestic expansion, BAE Systems is also cooperating with Poland to establish similar ammunition production facilities, reportedly including the transfer of automation technologies comparable to those implemented in the UK.
Read more: Ukraine Launches 155 mm Ammunition Production with Annual Output of 100,000 Shells
