The British defence industry's positive economic impact was
championed by Defence Secretary on the first day of Farnborough
International Air Show - where he announced a £6.5 billion
complex weapons partnership and ground-breaking trials of a laser
weapon fired from a British Army vehicle.
Meeting with industry leaders and defence apprentices, the
Defence Secretary stressed the importance of replenishing
stockpiles for the UK and Ukraine as he announced the renewal of
a complex weapons partnership with MBDA, who manufacture the
Storm Shadow missile used on Ukraine's front line. This 10-year
partnership will deliver battle-winning complex weapons faster
and at lower cost. The contract will also support more than 5,500
jobs across the North-West, East of England and the South-West,
as well as thousands of other jobs in UK's supply chain.
The Defence Secretary also revealed that scientists and engineers
have successfully fired a laser weapon from a British Army
vehicle, in a first for the UK. The ground-breaking trials,
conducted at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)
range in Porton Down, saw the laser weapon neutralise targets at
the speed of light from more than 1km away, with each shot
costing less than a cup of tea. The Raytheon-developed laser
weapon could be mounted onto various armoured vehicles to defeat
a range of drones, helping protect soldiers from aerial
threats.
Defence Secretary, said:
“Farnborough International Air Show showcases the best of British
industry and how a vibrant industrial base keeps us all safe and
contributes to UK economic growth.
“As Defence Secretary, I want to take the politics out of
national security so where there is important work begun under
the previous government, we will take it forward in the interest
of national security. That is why we are renewing important
partnerships with industry and continuing to push technological
boundaries. This will drive prosperity and create skilled jobs
across the country.”
The partnership with MBDA, signed with Defence Equipment &
Support (DE&S), the MoD's procurement arms, is expected to
deliver new systems to the UK such as the Future Cruise and
Anti-Ship Weapon, Land Precision Strike and continue the
evolution of Meteor missile system. It will enable ‘always-on'
manufacturing, holding industry at a high-state of readiness to
respond to defence demands. As part of this partnership, a
further £500 million will be invested in British manufacturing
and technologies.
The trialled laser weapon requires only two personnel to operate
and could take less than two weeks to be trained on. The next
phase of testing will involve trials with Army personnel later
this year, further evaluating the system's capabilities and
benefits in real-world scenarios. The demonstrator has been
tested by Team Hersa, comprising Dstl and DE&S, and
developed in collaboration with a consortium of UK suppliers and
showcases the potential of advanced technology in modern warfare.
The British supply chain includes Raytheon UK, Fraser Nash, NP
Aerospace, LumOptica, Blighter Surveillance Systems, and
Cambridge Pixel.
