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Defence is one of the most research-intensive and innovative sectors in the UK. It currently represents 10 per cent of the country’s manufacturing base, employs around 314,000 people and is responsible for £35bn of total economic contributions. Crucially, it is an export-heavy industry supporting 3,000 small and mediumsized firms – more than France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Norway put together.

Despite these strong figures, recent headlines suggest that options for engineers in defence are limited. With the country’s defence budget reduced from £37bn to £34bn for the next four years, the wave of job cuts throughout the sector has hit the front pages. But the demand for specialist engineering skills remains strong and, according to leading industry figures, the bleak picture painted by the media isn’t as accurate as it first seems.

Recruitment firm CBSbutler points out that while the Ministry of Defence has experienced major budget cuts, the reality is that there has been a steady decline in funding for the past few decades. As a result, larger engineering contractors have diversified into foreign markets – exporting huge amounts. As a result the UK is now second only to the US in its number of defence exports.