700 skilled jobs created as Bolton missile firm gets £200m investment

The announcement comes as a new Security and Defence Partnership was signed at this week’s EU-UK Summit which will open the door to the EU’s new weapons scheme, leading to significant opportunities for the UK’s world-leading defence industries.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds visited MBDA’s Bolton yesterday to formally announce the investment, which forms part of a wider £500 million commitment from the company to expand its UK manufacturing and technologies.

He said: “This is great news for Bolton and another win for our world-class defence sector, which will create hundreds of good, well-paid jobs and ensure the UK continues to lead the way on the cutting-edge technologies of the future. Our new Security and Defence Partnership will unlock access to the EU’s proposed new £150 billion defence fund for UK firms. Coupled with the launch of our upcoming modern Industrial Strategy, communities across the country will see how our Plan for Change is working - delivering growth at home and strength abroad.”

The investment from MBDA, a leading missile systems manufacturer, will more than double its Bolton footprint by 2028 and grow its apprenticeship and STEM outreach programme, which already includes over 400 early-career professionals UK-wide.

It also supports MBDA’s goal to deliver £10 billion of UK exports by 2032, cementing the UK’s position as a leader in the manufacturing and export of complex weapons systems, and comes after the Government announced a £6.5 billion complex weapons partnership with MBDA in July 2024.

MBDA UK Managing Director Chris Allam said: “We are proud and excited to be building a world class engineering and manufacturing campus in the north-west of England, the centre of complex weapons manufacturing for the UK, and our associated recruitment and training will extend our already great workforce.

“MBDA is privileged to have a 10-year Complex Weapons portfolio agreement with the UK Government. This gives us the confidence to invest and better support the UK and its allies. It also helps our supply chain and over 700 SMEs who work with MBDA in the UK. When we expand, they expand with us.”