UK Ministry of Defence,
London: The UK must retain its capability to produce Complex Weapons according to the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS), published Thursday.
The DIS sets out the need to retain this capability while acknowledging that industry will have to change to meet new challenges. Launching the DIS John Reid said: “The Complex Weapons industry is very important to us and we have built-up significant expertise.
For reasons of operational sovereignty we would wish to retain in the UK the capability to design new Weapons (including upgrades), integrate them into the wider military network and support them throughout their service life. We need to retain the capability to undertake these activities independently or as a leading player in collaboration with others.
“We have made significant investment in them in recent years, driven by the introduction of new systems such as StormShadow and Brimstone. “However the scale of our investment will reduce as new Weapons Systems are brought into service. As such, there will be overcapacity in this sector and we need to work with industry to ensure the critical skills the UK requires are sustained. A team will be created to take this work forward.
Emphasising the importance of maintaining the capability in the UK, John Reid said: “Sustainment of the industry may mean we have to temper International competition in the short-term. We will also work with European allies and industry to investigate potential for restructuring across Europe, to maintain critical skills. But this will not be to the exclusion of US-owned companies, in particular those who have already established a firm foothold in the UK.”
The complex weapons industry is based across the UK at many sites including Stevenage, Glenrothes and Belfast.
