Soldiers take steps to secure new weaponry (8)
I believe the answer is:
ordnance
'weaponry' is the definition.
(I know that ordnance is a type of armament)
'soldiers take steps to secure new' is the wordplay.
'soldiers' becomes 'OR' (Other Ranks).
'take' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'steps' becomes 'dance' ('dance step' can be a synonym of 'step').
'to secure' is an insertion indicator (inserted letters are secured inside).
'new' becomes 'n' (common abbreviation eg NT for New Testament).
'dance' placed around 'n' is 'dnance'.
'or'+'dnance'='ORDNANCE'
(Other definitions for ordnance that I've seen before include "Department concerned with artillery" , "The Survey provides maps" , "Mounted guns, cannon" , "Military supplies and materials" , "Car on end (anag) - artillery" .)