125 jobs are to be supported in the North East through a new agreement between the MOD and Cook Defence Systems to supply spare tracks for the British Army’s armoured fighting vehicles.
The three-year deal announced today (18 August), worth up to £125 million, will see the company supplying spare parts for all the Army’s principal combat vehicles including its new Challenger 3 tanks, securing investment in advanced manufacturing techniques and supporting skilled jobs at Cook’s County Durham site.
The announcement supports the Government’s Plan for Change: boosting UK defence spending and our security, backing British industry, and growing the economy by creating skilled jobs in communities across the country.
The agreement comes ahead of Ukrainian Independence Day on Sunday 24 August. Cook Defence Systems have played a vital role in the UK’s enduring commitment to Ukraine, supporting donated British armoured fighting vehicles and as the main manufacturer of spare tracks for the Soviet-era vehicles used by the Ukrainian Army.
This highlights how the UK and British industry are working together to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield.
Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard, said:
This contract not only strengthens our Army’s warfighting capability, but helps sustain hundreds of skilled jobs in the North East. It’s a clear example of the defence dividend – this Government’s historic increase in defence spending supporting high-skilled jobs across the UK, part of the Plan for Change. This investment is a clear example of the defence dividend where higher defence spending, spent with British firms, supports good, well-paid skilled jobs nationwide.
The war in Ukraine has taught us that a military is only as strong as the industry behind it. That’s why we’re investing more in our own forces and working with UK industry to scale up production, support our allies, and secure long-term national resilience.
The new agreement delivers on the recommendations of the Strategic Defence Review, published in June, and the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy. By aligning national security and economic growth, this Government is ensuring that every pound of taxpayer money spent on defence not only makes our country safer but contributes to growing the economy.
Director of Cook Defence Systems, William Cook said:
As the only British designer and manufacturer of track systems for fighting vehicles, Cook Defence Systems is critical to the operational independence of the British Army and allied forces.
This 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.
Our core relationship with the UK MOD is the foundation of our export success, with Cook Defence Systems currently supplying British allies in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
This comes as part of wider defence investment, with the UK ramping up procurement of artillery ammunition, drones, and combat spares in response to lessons learned from Ukraine, whilst continuing to support them following Putin’s barbaric invasion.
The UK, together with allies, is stepping up support for Ukraine – providing £4.5 billion of military support this year – more than ever before. In March this year, the Prime Minister announced a historic £1.6 billion deal to provide more than five thousand air defence missiles for Ukraine.
The UK is also stepping up on the supply of drones, with £350 million this year to increase the supply of drones from 10,000 in 2024 to 100,000 in 2025; and the UK has completed a delivery of 140,000 artillery munitions since the start of 2025 in a vital boost for Ukraine’s frontline troops.
