'Shropshire should be proud' - Defence minister full of praise on visit to Telford tank manufacturer
Government minister Maria Eagle paid tribute to Telford's "fantastic" manufacturing workforce after she dropped in to check on the progress of the Challenger 3 tank.
The Minister of State for Defence Procurement and Industry was in Shropshire to check progress on the Challenger 3 tank programme, currently being built at Hadley Castle by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) under a £800 million contract.
According to the UK Government, the programme has created nearly 300 jobs within RBSL, including 130 engineers and 70 technicians, with an additional 450 jobs across the UK. The first Challenger 3s are due to enter service in 2027.
The visit also saw the minister apply a ceremonial "Made in Britain" sticker to one of an anticipated 600 British built Boxer vehicles to roll off the production line, after manufacturing started in Telford during 2023.
"Telford and Shropshire should be proud of what this place is doing and I'm sure they are," she said.
