The Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle MP, has paid her first visit to the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S)-owned Defence Fulfilment Centre (DFC) in Telford.

Operated by Team Leidos, the £83m cutting-edge, end-to-end logistics centre at MOD Donnington is a hub for the storage of the UK’s Defence inventory and ensures the efficient delivery of critical equipment and supplies across the globe. This includes clothing, medicines, and many other essential items needed on the front-line.

Touring the facility that employs close to 400 staff, the Minister experienced how the DFC supports UK Armed Forces. It is one of two major storage and distribution locations for the MOD, the other at MOD Bicester, with a new facility at Longtown in Cumbria currently nearing completion.

The Minister also found out more about the Logistics Commodities Services Transformation (LCST) Programme, of which the DFC is a key element. Since 2015, the Programme has delivered over £1bn worth of products to the UK military, getting everything from food rations to boots, exactly where they need to be, at the right price and at the right time.

John Farrow, DE&S Logistics, Services and Commodities Director, said: “We welcomed the opportunity to demonstrate the logistical effort that goes into the management and delivery of the UK’s Defence inventory from our MOD Donnington hub.

“Working in collaboration with Team Leidos, our Defence Fulfilment Centre has supplied more than £1bn worth of military kit to those on the front-line and our people have played an instrumental role in providing support to Ukraine and numerous other operations worldwide. We are proud to have showcased the work we do to contribute to the continued prosperity and security of our nation and our allies’.”

The Minister was shown the Leidos Support Chain Integration Platform IT service in action at the DFC. The platform’s best-in-class technology enables the delivery, inventory management, storage, transport management, demand placement and supply chain orchestration of military kit in a way that reduces costs and improves distribution accuracy.

Simon Hutchings, Leidos Vice President Logistics and Mission Support and Programme Manager LCST, said: “I am immensely proud of what Leidos has achieved to date on the development of the Defence Fulfilment Centre in Telford and as the prime integrator for LCST. The flexible capacity and strategic network resilience we’ve established have significantly bolstered defence resilience and enhanced our ability to support war fighters with better, more agile adaptive logistics.”

On the same day, the Minister also visited the nearby Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land’s (RBSL) Hadley Castle Works Factory, where she met defence staff working on DE&S-managed programmes for the Challenger 3 and Boxer armoured vehicles. The factory, alongside its Stockport location, is at the forefront of producing the Challenger 3 tank, a vital component of the British Army’s modernisation efforts.

Under an £800 million contract, Challenger 3 production has generated nearly 300 highly skilled jobs within RBSL, including 130 engineers and 70 technicians, with an additional 450 roles supported across the UK supply chain.

Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle MP, said: “Telford is at the heart of UK Defence, and I was pleased to witness first-hand how our Defence industry is equipping the Armed Forces with 21st-century armoured fighting vehicles.

“In the face of global threats, the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy will drive economic growth, boost British jobs, and strengthen national security.”

The Defence Industrial Strategy underlines the Government’s commitment to forging long-term partnerships with the defence industry. The strategy will ensure economic growth, regional prosperity, and resilience by supporting skilled jobs and apprenticeships while meeting the Industrial Strategy’s broader goals, such as Net Zero and national security.