The policy will set out the long-term needs of the UK’s Armed Forces in relation to industrial requirements onshore in the UK. In turn, the policy seeks to guide UK-based industry investment to meet those needs.
Ian Godden, the chairman of A|D|S, said: “October’s Strategic Defence and Security Review went some way towards providing clarity to the defence industry around the Government’s long-term plans for our Armed Forces – the very people that our sector takes great pride in supporting.”
Godden continued: “The Government’s ‘Equipment, Support and Technology for UK Defence and Security: A Consultation Paper’ goes a step further, and this will help industry – from large multinationals to small and medium sized businesses – engage fully with the MoD, the Home Office and Government more widely in order to identify what the Government requires of industry to support our Armed Forces and as a major contributor to wealth creation in this country.”
Godden’s organisation also welcomes the fact that the consultation addresses both defence and security.
“There are clear benefits in considering defence and security together,” he urged, “particularly where sustained R&T investment could support both sectors, but we should not underestimate the major differences between the two markets in terms of both customers and suppliers.”
Increasing co-ordination required
Godden feels strongly that security will need increasing co-ordination between the many departments, agencies and the private sector owner-operators of key infrastructure.
“In such a diverse market, and one which is characterised by public and private purchases, issues such as standards and regulation will be of key importance,” he stressed.
In conclusion, Godden told SMT Online: “A|D|S looks forward to leading the industry’s efforts in responding to this consultation and working with the Government and the newly-appointed chief of defence materiel, Bernard Gray, for the long-term benefit for our troops, our economy and our national security.”
Further analysis of the Green Paper (and a response to the consultation itself) will follow from A|D|S in due course.
Meantime, the MoD’s consultation paper can be found on the Internet (see the right hand panel of this page for a dedicated link)
UK defence industry facts
- The UK-based defence industry employs 300,000 people who take great pride in delivering the best possible equipment to Britain’s Armed Forces
- The industry is worth over GB pound 35 billion per annum to the UK economy
- In 2009, the UK defence industry earned GB pound 7.2 billion in export revenues
- It’s number one in Europe, second only to the US globally in terms of share of the global export market
- As well as the established names of large multinational companies with a presence in this country, the UK defence sector has more SMEs than France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Norway combined
UK security industry facts
- There are an estimated 600,000 employees in the UK security sector in the wider sense, made up of 8,000 core companies
- The Homeland Security market is growing and currently estimated to be worth about between $140 billion-$180 billion per annum (it’s estimated that it will reach $300 billion in the next ten years)
- Research for the UKTI Defence & Security Organisation (DSO) in March 2010 indicated that UK security exports in 2008-2009 were GB pound 1.36 billion (an increase of 14% on the previous year)
- In the same research, the UK is ranked sixth in terms of global security sales with 3.1% of the total (and further room for future growth)
For more information on the work of A|D|S access the web link on the right hand panel of this page)
EBOOK: Lessons from IFSEC 2023 – Big Tech, Martyn’s Law and Drone Threats
Read IFSEC Insider’s exclusive IFSEC eBook and explore the key takeaways from the 2023 show!
Navigate the impact of Big Tech on access control, gain insights from Omdia’s analysts on video surveillance trends, and explore sessions covering topics like futureproofing CCTV networks, addressing the rising drone threat, and the crucial role of user proficiency in security technology.
There's also an exclusive interview with Figen Murray, the driver behind Martyn's Law legislation.
