Birmingham security manufacturer Warrior Doors has welcomed new figures showing that 85% of Ministry of Defence manufacturing expenditure supports work undertaken in Britain, calling for a similar commitment to domestic engineering across the nation’s critical infrastructure.
The figures, revealed in a parliamentary response by Defence Minister Luke Pollard and reported by the UK Defence Journal, show that 85% of the Ministry of Defence’s direct manufacturing expenditure with industry is allocated to work taking place in the UK.
The Government is also strengthening its understanding of overseas dependencies through supply-chain mapping and assessments designed to improve resilience across defence procurement.
For Brett Barratt, Managing Director of Birmingham-based Warrior Doors, the announcement reinforces an argument he has been making about the importance of sovereign manufacturing in protecting British infrastructure.
“The Government’s commitment to British manufacturing within defence procurement is extremely welcome, and the 85% figure demonstrates the scale of industrial capability we already have in this country,” said Barratt.
“Defence manufacturing is about protecting the nation, maintaining operational capability and ensuring that essential equipment can be produced and supported here in Britain. Those same principles should influence how we procure the physical security systems protecting our critical infrastructure.”
Sovereign Manufacturing Extends Beyond Defence
Barratt previously raised concerns about the UK’s dependence on international supply chains in an article for The Manufacturer, examining why sovereign manufacturing is becoming increasingly important to infrastructure security.
He believes the latest defence expenditure figures provide an opportunity to consider the wider security manufacturing industry, particularly where specialist security products protect public buildings, transport infrastructure, utilities and strategically important commercial premises.
“Britain has an outstanding engineering heritage and a highly capable manufacturing sector. We should be using that expertise to strengthen the security of our infrastructure,” he continued.
“When a security door protects a railway station, an energy installation or a public building, the ability to trace its manufacture, verify its performance and obtain replacement components throughout its working life has real value.
“British manufacturers can provide that accountability, supported by direct relationships between the customer, the engineering team and the people responsible for manufacturing the product.”
British Engineering Supporting Critical Infrastructure
Warrior Doors designs and manufactures specialist stainless-steel security doors at its Birmingham facility, supplying engineered solutions for applications where resistance to forced entry, durability and reliable operation are essential.
Its capabilities include LPS-certified security doors, independently tested to recognised security standards, including LPS 1175, providing customers with independently assessed resistance to forced entry.
The company’s range of data centre security doors also reflects the growing importance of physical protection for strategically significant facilities. These installations form part of the security arrangements safeguarding the infrastructure supporting digital communications, commercial operations and essential services.
Barratt believes the defence sector’s emphasis on supply-chain visibility offers a useful model for organisations procuring security equipment across the wider economy.
“Security procurement should consider the entire working life of the installation, including the availability of components, maintenance expertise and the ability to respond quickly when requirements change,” he said.
“Manufacturing capability here in the UK gives customers access to the people who understand their products and can support them over many years.
“We have invested in our engineering expertise, manufacturing processes and independent product testing because our customers depend on equipment that performs when it matters.”
The Value of British-Made Security Products
The same engineering expertise supports Warrior Doors’ range of communal entrance doors, developed for residential buildings and social housing environments, alongside specialist vehicle mitigation technology designed to protect vulnerable premises against vehicle-borne attacks.
Across these applications, the ability to manufacture, test and support security equipment domestically provides customers with greater visibility over the origins and performance of the products they specify.
Warrior Doors has previously outlined its commitment to domestic production in its article, Made in Britain: Warrior Doors Builds Security from the Factory Floor Up, examining the value of retaining engineering expertise, production oversight and technical accountability within the UK.
For Barratt, the Government’s latest defence figures reinforce the commercial and strategic value of maintaining these capabilities.
“An 85% commitment to manufacturing work taking place in Britain is encouraging. The next conversation should be about how we build on that across other sectors responsible for protecting the country,” he said.
“Public procurement has considerable influence over the future of British engineering. Supporting manufacturers that invest in UK facilities, skilled employment and independently tested products helps sustain the industrial capacity our country relies upon.”
A Wider Opportunity for British Industry
The Ministry of Defence’s figures also highlight an ongoing debate about how British manufacturing contribution should be measured, including the location of production, ownership of intellectual property and reliance on overseas components.
These considerations are particularly relevant to physical security, where equipment can remain in service for decades and where long-term access to technical support and replacement parts can be essential.
Barratt believes the Government’s focus on defence supply-chain resilience should encourage similar conversations among infrastructure operators, local authorities and public-sector procurement teams.
“At Warrior Doors, we see the value of British engineering every day. Our ambition is to see that capability recognised throughout the procurement of security infrastructure, alongside the growing emphasis being placed on defence,” he concluded.
“Britain has the engineering expertise, manufacturing capacity and independent testing infrastructure to deliver world-class security products. Supporting that capability is an investment in the country’s long-term resilience.”
With defence supply chains receiving greater government scrutiny, Warrior Doors believes the principles of domestic manufacturing, technical accountability and long-term product support deserve wider consideration across the UK’s physical security sector.
Discover Warrior Doors’ British-engineered security doors and specialist physical security solutions at www.warriordoors.co.uk.
