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Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing in the UK Industry Data and Analysis
Weapons and ammunition purchased domestically come from the UK defence sector, split across downstream markets in the RAF, Royal Navy and British Army. International demand from allied militaries is also a primary driver of industry revenue, resulting in rising revenue when geopolitical tensions are high and prompting an increase in global defence spending budgets. The Ministry of Defence has provided £13 billion in military funding to Ukraine since the onset of the war with Russia in February 2022, including over 500,000 artillery ammunition shells. This has depleted UK stock, resulting in heightened demand for ammunition that has supported strong revenue across the industry, particularly for BAE Systems, which serves as the MoD’s primary ammunition provider. Sales to the Middle East are also strong as countries at war like Israel and Saudi Arabia buy bundles of advanced weapons and ammunition, providing a strong export market directly to these countries and to countries like the US, which is the largest export destination in the country. This has raised numerous ethical concerns from bodies like the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), but exports have remained strong.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released December 2025.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom operates under the SIC industry code C25.400. Companies in the Weapon and Ammunition Manufacturing industry manufacture heavy weapons, small arms, spring air and gas weapons, pistols and war ammunition, including hunting firearms and explosive devices, as well as numerous parts and accessories. Related terms covered in the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom include artillery shell, military grade weapons and recoil mechanism.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom include Small arms ammunition , Heavy arms ammunition and ordinance and Small arms.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom include BAE Systems plc, Raytheon Systems Ltd and Leonardo UK Ltd.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed product and service segmentation, analysis of major markets and international trade data for the for the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom in 2026?
The market size of the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom is £4.3bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?
There are 96 businesses in the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom, which has declined at a CAGR of 1.0 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom?
The Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom?
The Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 5.6 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom?
The biggest companies operating in the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom are BAE Systems plc, Raytheon Systems Ltd and Leonardo UK Ltd
What does the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom include?
Heavy arms ammunition and ordinance and Small arms ammunition are part of the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom?
The company holding the most market share in the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom is BAE Systems plc.
How competitive is the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom?
The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Weapon & Ammunition Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom.
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