German defence agreement paves way for artillery gun barrels to be built with Sheffield steel

​The factory will use steel from the Sheffield Forgemasters works, and support more than 400 jobs.

​The first artillery gun barrels are expected to be produced in 2027, and bring nearly a half a billion-pound economic boost to the UK over 10 years.

The UK-Germany Trinity House Agreement is a sign of the Government’s attempts to forge close relations with European allies, particularly on defence and security measures.

Defence Secretary John Healey signed the pact with German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in London yesterday.

The Rawmarsh and Conisbrough MP said it was a “landmark agreement”, adding: “It secures unprecedented levels of new co-operation with the German armed forces and industry, bringing benefits to our shared security and prosperity, protecting our shared values and boosting our defence industrial bases.”

It will see the Nato allies working together on developing long-range strike weapons that can travel further than the UK’s existing Storm Shadow missiles.

And the UK and Germany will also collaborate on developing new land-based and aerial drones.

The Ministry of Defence said that the gun barrels, produced using Sheffield steel, will benefit UK and German units committed to Nato on Russia’s border in Estonia and Lithuania.

Mr Pistorius said: “We must not take security in Europe for granted.

“Russia is waging war against Ukraine, it is increasing its weapons production immensely and has repeatedly launched hybrid attacks on our partners in Eastern Europe.

“With the Trinity House Agreement, we are showing that the Nato allies have recognised what these times require and are determined to improve their deterrence and defence capabilities.”

Under the agreement, the MoD said German P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft will “periodically” operate out of Lossiemouth in Moray, potentially armed with UK-supplied torpedoes, helping to secure the North Atlantic.

The deal is a boost for Sheffield Forgemasters, which was nationalised in 2021 after struggling to compete with cheap Chinese steel.

The firm will also be used to build a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines for UK and Australian navies. The subs are set to become a key part of both countries’ armedforces.

They are expected to be ready for the the Royal Navy in the late 2030s and the Royal Australian Navy in the early 2040s.

An anticipated 7,000 additional British jobs will be generated through the submarine programmes, and at the peak there will be more than 21,000 people working on the UK supply chain.

Earlier in the year, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard launched the UK Steel Charter from Forgemasters, saying: “We were the first to mass produce steel, we were the first to be an advanced manufacturing innovation district and now we’re the UK’s first investment zone.”