British industry to boost Ukrainian artillery with new barrel production initiative
The UK Ministry of Defense has confirmed that Sheffield Forgemasters will produce the largest and most complex cast and forged steel components, including gun barrels for Ukraine's artillery.
The British Defense Ministry agreed to regenerate the UK’s ability to produce forgings for gun barrels, working in partnership with Sheffield Forgemasters, supporting the repair and overhaul of Ukrainian vehicles.
This is the first step towards UK sovereign barrel production, which has been developing for 20 years, the ministry noted. Sheffield Forgemasters is capable of producing the largest and most technically complex cast and forged steel components in the world. The gun barrels will be primarily intended to equip Ukraine’s artillery systems.
According to the ministry, these include 155-mm AS-90 self-propelled guns and towed 105-mm L119 howitzers.
“UK industry support of this kind will enable Ukraine’s armed forces to maintain vital equipment, such as L119 Light Guns and the AS90 self-propelled gun, keeping it in the fight and repairing battle-damaged equipment as quickly as possible,” its statement claimed.
At the beginning of July, the UK announced it would supply Ukraine with new barrels of AS-90 self-propelled howitzers as part of its military assistance.
The AS-90 is equipped with a 155-mm L31A1 gun with a 39-caliber barrel manufactured by BAE Systems Global Combat Systems, Militarnyi informed.
The gun features a double-baffle muzzle brake, an ejector, and an integrated magazine for 12 primers. However, in June, it became known that BAE Systems was no longer capable of manufacturing barrels for these artillery systems.
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