The Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard MP, has announced a new Ministry of Defence contract with Cook Defence Systems, securing 125 jobs at the company’s Stanhope facility in County Durham.
Under the three-year agreement, Cook Defence Systems will continue supplying spare tracks for all the British Army’s major in-service armoured fighting vehicles, including the latest Challenger 3 tanks and Ajax platforms.
During his visit, the Minister toured the facility to see advanced manufacturing and inspection techniques in action and met with staff, apprentices, and veterans employed at the site. Pollard said the deal not only strengthens the Army’s warfighting capability, but also helps sustain hundreds of skilled jobs in the North East. He added that the investment was “a clear example of the defence dividend where higher defence spending, spent with British firms, supports good, well-paid skilled jobs nationwide.”
The announcement came ahead of Ukrainian Independence Day on 24 August. Cook Defence Systems has played a crucial role in the UK’s ongoing support for Ukraine, serving as the primary manufacturer of spare tracks for Soviet-era vehicles currently used by the Ukrainian Army.
William Cook, Director of Cook Defence Systems, said the company’s position as the only British designer and manufacturer of track systems for fighting vehicles makes it “critical to the operational independence of the British Army and allied forces.” He added that the latest contract “directly supports 125 jobs at Cook Defence Systems and underpins £5m of investment in new plant and machinery over the next twelve months,” describing it as a welcome signal that heavy armour remains core to British Army planning and that firms like Cook are central to the Government’s forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy.
The deal is expected to provide certainty for the Stanhope site and its supply chain, while ensuring the Army retains reliable, UK-based support for its tracked fleet. With the Challenger 3 entering service and the Ajax programme progressing, the contract aligns industrial capacity with the Army’s modernisation plans, while anchoring high-value manufacturing in the North East.
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