Purpose-built £5bn cyber warfare facility to be built in Lancashire

The government has confirmed it will establish a £5bn cyber warfare facility in the Lancashire village of Samlesbury. Defence secretary Ben Wallace yesterday told the Sunday Telegraph that the National Cyber Force, a new government agency devoted to launching offensive cyber operations, will be based there. The government added today that the move is part of its levelling-up agenda by moving skilled jobs outside of London. The village is of strategic importance to the Ministry of Defence, already hosting an aircraft factory for military technology giant BAE Systems. Officially launched in April last year, the NCF brings together officials from MI6, intelligence agency GCHQ and the military under a unified command. Wallace said: “The National Cyber Force located in Samlesbury will embrace exciting new offensive cyber technologies and provide thousands of highly skilled jobs and expertise to the North West.” It comes after GCHQ opened a hub in Manchester in 2019, which operates alongside its headquarters in Cheltenham and offices in Cornwall and Scarborough. Manchester is Europe’s fastest-growing major tech cluster, with more than 15% of the city’s population employed by the digital, creative and technology sector. Foreign secretary Liz Truss said the NCF “will help confront aggressive behaviour from malign actors, and demonstrate that Britain is investing in next-generation defence capability to protect our people and help our friends counter cyber threats”.   To send feedback, e-mail alex.daniel@eg.co.uk or tweet @alexmdaniel or @EGPropertyNews