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UK Defence and Security Report Q1 2008Published by: Business Monitor International Published: Jan. 31, 2008 - 70 Pages Table of Contents
AbstractQ407 turned out to be a tough time for Gordon Brown, Britain’s new Prime Minister who had succeededTony Blair as the head of the Labour Party government in mid-2007. He saw his lead in the opinion polls steadily erode and eventually reverse as he hesitated over whether to call early general elections (in the end he decided not to), and as the first signs of a credit crunch and economic recession began to emerge. Despite what was seen as a strong start on the security front, when the new Prime Minister had to deal with al-Qaeda-inspired attempted bombings in London and an attack on Glasgow airport, his position in this area too began to weaken. The government was damaged by the loss of the confidential bank and personal details of 25mn citizens and other security lapses. Internationally, the government continued with the slow and delicate process of beginning to extricate the UK from Iraq, handing over control of Basra, the country’s second largest city, to local authorities. Britain’s military commitment in Afghanistan remained significant, with troops involved in heavy fighting to recapture territory held by the Taliban. This looks like remaining a long-term commitment for the British authorities. There are currently no major conventional military threats to the UK. However, the country’s fear of an international terrorist attack remains high; before the mid-2007 scare in London and Glasgow, memories remain fixed on July 7 2005, when four bombs were detonated across London’s transport system by an al- Qaeda cell. A similar attack was launched two weeks later but the bombs failed to explode, signalling the organisation’s commitment to continue its campaign on British soil. The defence industry is benefiting from a range of multinational programmes and major procurement projects within the UK. Rationalisation and internationalisation of the industry continue, and the announcement of an agreement over the second tranche of the Eurofighter’s Typhoon is good news for the British defence industry and employment levels generally. So too is confirmation of the order for two new 65,000-tonne aircraft carriers, which will be the largest warships ever built in the UK. The MoD also made a large number of procurements during 2006-2007, reflecting the UK’s continued commitment to the US-led war on terror. Plans to restructure the defence industry to meet the long-term needs of the armed forces could lead to the UK becoming less sensitive to where platforms and systems are built. Involvement in multinational programmes is expected to increase UK arms exports over coming years. These projects should enable UK firms to gain defence contracts for the supply of components, subsystems and structures. Regardless of the strength of the UK defence industry, there are perpetual reports that the British Armed Forces deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan are inadequately equipped - as such, a significant domestic demand exists should the funds be found. Get Full Details About This Report >> |
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