Engineering job opportunities in the defence sector

Government spending cuts, postponements of military procurement programmes and a scaling back of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have contributed to the first fall in global arms sales for the top 100 companies since the mid 1990s, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said last month (February).

Global sales fell by five per cent in 2011 to $410bn (£265bn) a figure that excludes China, due to lack of available data. The picture in the UK was not so bleak, but remained very challenging, said the UK trade body ADS Group, where revenues remained flat for the year at £22.1bn.

However, Paul Everitt, ADS chief executive, said that while there were likely to be further reductions in domestic spending on defence, there had been a significant increase in export trade, as businesses sought new growth in international markets or new industry sectors, such as cyber security.

’The domestic market is challenging and it is likely that defence procurement in the UK will continue to experience reductions while the Government tackles deficits. However, we are seeing defence businesses roll up their sleeves and seek revenue from alternative streams,’ said Everitt.