Comment: The fight for Britain's defence industry

Monday, 4 October 2010 12:00 AM

With the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) looming the government needs to take the required decisions to ensure the future of Britain's armed forces.

By Mark Menzies MP

Last month we recognised the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. This was unlike any previous struggle the World had seen, a battle fought predominantly in the air. The UK rallied together like never before, and successfully defeated the Luftwaffe, stemming off an almost otherwise inevitable invasion.

My own constituency of Fylde was home to one of the key sites for the Battle's own RAF Coastal Command: Warton Aerodrome. Warton is now the base of BAE Systems' Military Aircraft Headquarters, the largest facility of its kind in the UK.

The Battle of Britain effectively emphasised the importance of technology in warfare. From the crucial Spitfire planes, to the efforts of ground crew working with Radio Direction Finding (now known as RADAR) both played crucial roles in the overall strategy.

In the current defence debate, there are some who question the need for this UK based industry, arguing simply, that we should be looking to buy 'off the shelf'. The flaw in this argument is that in many cases the UK already is 'the shelf'.

UK based defence industries are a prime example of an industry fully appreciating the role that technology has in staying relevant. These industries aren't just concerned with the current standard, but they're determined to set the next standard.

At Warton, BAE are currently working on the next generation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), although a relatively new technology UAVs are now a common sight on a modern battlefield. It's a prime example of a complete revolution in modern warfare, with full scale unmanned combat aircraft expected to become the next standard in just a few years. Such is the confidence in new technologies such as these that BAE invest considerable sums of their finances into future 'R and D' ensuring that our armed forces are properly equipped.

It's important at this point not to minimise the role this industry plays, these skills and technologies are rarely limited to the military, often they serve civilian functions too. Once again UAVs are a prime example, with much of this technology having the potential to play a broader role such as border protection and anti piracy operations.

These companies aren't small players either, some 300,000 people are employed across the UK in high skilled manufacturing and engineering roles directly, not to mention all those indirectly related, from the couriers and contractors to the cleaners and catering staff.

The government has stated its desire to rebalance the economy, less emphasis on services and more on manufacturing, right across the country. We are leaders in this industry, an industry that is already well balanced, from R&D right through to manufacturing and a presence right across the country including in my own North West.

Governments have previously taken the necessary decisions to ensure the future of our armed forces, with the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) looming the government is once again facing another of these points in history.

Mark Menzies is Conservative MP for Fylde.

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