The Armed Forces need the best equipment and these companies provide it. Whats wrong with supporting British industry and British jobs?
The seven UK-based arms companies which the Clean Investment Campaign focuses on are primarily arms exporting companies. When a contract for equipment for the UK armed forces comes up, it is often possible to buy cheaper (and arguably better) military equipment from abroad. However, government ministers often ‘buy British’, helping companies sell their equipment abroad. In July 2003, BAE Systems sources were reported as saying that export orders were ‘a vital factor’ in the recent decision by the government to buy BAE Systems Hawk jets. The Treasury had estimated that opening the bid to competition from other companies would save the UK tax-payer £1 billion. Choosing more expensive equipment in order to support exports is a direct subsidy to the arms trade. The MoD’s own estimates show that 65,000 jobs are sustained by military exports, just 0.2% of the national labour force.
