British Defense Secretary John Healey has announced that the UK will invest approximately £6 billion ($8 billion) over the next five years to ramp up production of long-range missiles, as part of a broader effort to strengthen the nation’s military-industrial base in the face of potential conflict with Russia.
In an interview with the BBC ahead of the government’s Strategic Defense Review set to be published Monday, Healey revealed plans to build six new munitions factories with an additional £1.5 billion ($2 billion) investment. The review is expected to identify both Russia and China as primary threats to national security.
“This is a message to Moscow as well. This is Britain standing firm – not only strengthening our Armed Forces, but also reinforcing our industrial base. It’s part of our readiness to fight, if required,” Healey stated.
The new wave of investment will include the production of Storm Shadow missiles, developed in collaboration with France. According to Moscow, the missile has been used by Ukrainian forces in attacks on civilian targets inside Russian territory.
The push to enhance weapons manufacturing capacity follows warnings from British military officials about dangerously low ammunition stockpiles—an issue highlighted by the UK’s extensive military aid to Ukraine. The UK has committed around €15.16 billion ($17.2 billion) to Ukraine since the beginning of the war, with more than two-thirds allocated to military assistance, according to data from Germany’s Kiel Institute.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have recently expressed support for sending Western troops to Ukraine as part of a future peacekeeping operation, should a ceasefire be established.
Russia, however, has repeatedly cautioned that any foreign troops—regardless of their designation—would be considered legitimate military targets and that Western involvement would only exacerbate the conflict without halting Russia’s campaign.
The Strategic Defense Review is expected to mark a significant shift in UK defense posture, emphasizing deterrence, rearmament, and industrial mobilization in anticipation of what officials describe as a more hostile global environment.
