Britain to Build Weapons Plants as Starmer Warns of Islamic Republic Threat

June 1, 2025

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LONDON, England, June 1(Reuters) – Britain must be ready to fight and win a war against states with advanced military forces, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said as his government announced a 1.5 billion-pound ($2.0 billion) plan to build at least six new weapons and explosives factories.

Starmer’s warning came a day before he publishes a major review of Britain’s military capabilities. The UK and countries across Europe are rapidly trying to boost their defence industries after U.S. President Donald Trump said the continent had to take more responsibility for its own security.

The UK, Italy, and Japan have unveiled a new concept model of their next-generation ‘Tempest’ combat aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow. REUTERS/FILE PHOTO

“We are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces, so we must be ready to fight and win,” Starmer wrote in an article for The Sun on Sunday newspaper, citing as examples Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its co-operation with Iran and North Korea.

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Defence Minister John Healey announced the munitions investment programme in a BBC interview on Sunday, describing it as “a message to Moscow” as well as a way to stimulate the country’s sluggish economy.

The Ministry of Defence said it would procure up to 7,000 long-range weapons, built in Britain. The extra investment means Britain will spend around 6 billion pounds on munitions in the current parliament, the MoD said.

The Sunday Times reported the government wanted to purchase U.S.-made fighter jets capable of firing tactical nuclear weapons. The MoD did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

The Strategic Defence Review, commissioned by Starmer’s Labour government shortly after it won power last July, will set out the threats Britain faces and the military equipment and services needed to meet them.

Starmer has already committed to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and target a 3% level over the longer term.

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The government has already announced a billion-pound plan to invest in Artificial Intelligence that can be used to enhance battlefield decision-making, and has separately committed to spend an extra 1.5 billion pounds to tackle the poor state of housing for the country’s armed forces.

($1 = 0.7430 pounds)

(Reporting by Andy Bruce and William James in London; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Sophie Walker)