Military storage facility will 'boost frontline'

A new £98.5m military storage facility will mean equipment can get to the frontline more efficiently, a minister has said.

The Longtown Defence Storage Facility has opened next to the existing munitions depot at Longtown, Cumbria, creating 25 new jobs and employing 450 in its construction.

The 19-acre (76,000 sq m) site will provide storage for equipment for military missions, from body armour to spare parts, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

Minister for Defence Readiness Luke Pollard told BBC Radio Cumbria the facility was an "essential part" of supporting UK armed forces.

He said: "Without the logistics our armed forces won't have that war-fighting capability...and I think folks that work here are incredibly proud of their contribution to keeping our nation safe."

The site would support military operations across the UK and internationally, strengthening defence readiness, the MoD said.

Construction, led by McLaughlin & Harvey, began in March 2023 and took two years to complete, with the official opening happening on Tuesday.

As part of the build, improvements have also been made to the existing rail service attached to the Longtown site.

Lt Gen Simon Hamilton, interim CEO of defence equipment and support, said: "This modern storage capability will significantly enhance our logistics operations, ensuring we can deliver the right equipment to the right place at the right time and when it is not in use store it safely, securely and sustainably."

Correction 19 October: This article has been updated to make clear the 450 people were employed in the facility's construction and were not existing employees, and it officially opened on Tuesday, not Monday.

Source: Cumbria's new military facility 'will boost frontline operations' - BBC News