• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Excelitas Qioptiq banner

BATTLESPACE Updates

   +44 (0)77689 54766
   

  • Home
  • Features
  • News Updates
  • Defence Engage
  • Company Directory
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media Pack 2023

FARNBOROUGH OPENS WITH SIGNS OF A DOWNTURN

July 21, 2008 by

FARNBOROUGH OPENS WITH SIGNS OF A DOWNTURN PART 2
By Julian Nettlefold

21 Jul 08. Seasoned BATTLESPACE readers will remember the same headline at the last Farnborough! For our readers a downturn is a downturn in defence spending and not the civil aviation spend which continued after Farnborough 06 but which screeched to a halt this year as the Reuters Report showed. We were told in 2006 that defence issues had been put on the back-burner to prevent the Campaign Against The Arms Trade from targeting Farnborough. But, in reality, certainly this year, there was a dearth of defence news with Baroness Taylor coming all the way down to announce a £74 million order, one which our colleagues at DR&A say was inflated in any event! What she did not reveal was that the vital Support Contract for Rolls Royce to support the Tornado RB199 engine due to be signed in June had not been renewed. Does this signal plans to mothball the older Tornados as they are not suitable for Afghanistan and their airframes in a questionable state? Stories in the Times today of more flights using simulators to save fuel could point the way forward. The fact that the EP08 Budget has not been finalised and continued doubts over Typhoon Tranche 3 remain, there was little to be said.

But it goes deeper, clearly we have a Prime Minister who has no interest in defence issues as his history as Chancellor and PM signal. He made it clear that he would not visit Farnborough in spite of Lord Jones’s rearguard action trumpeting the defence export figures and the vital need to keep this UK capability. But Gordon’s enmity for the arms trade has also, it seems, infected a greater proportion of the population. In earlier years the BBC would have put on a number of Programmes about Farnborough hosted by Raymond Baxter and others praising the aerospace industry – this year – nothing (correct me if I misread my BBC listings)! But this enmity for the defence industry, where much of the vital R&D takes place to flow into the civil sector, is affecting the prospects for jobs and the future of the industry. If Government does not see it as a central growing industry, then it is not one for a student to go in to. Enquiries we get at BATTLESPACE about careers all signal a wish to go into Formula 1.

But, one country’s loss is one country’s gain – Italy. Visitors to Farnborough this year were greeted to a sea of red tents and flags, which in previous years would have signified BAE’s presence. Not this year, pride of place went to Finmeccanica, with BAE’s presence very muted. With all the bad press over Saudi and a new CEO coming to the Company and with no Government support to defend the Saudi questions, which after all was a Government-to –Government Contract, BAE played it safe and mainly advertised on buses and bridges with a small press presence. A shame as it had developed, mainly with PV money, an excellent range of UAVs with advanced technology over its competitors (See: BATTLESPACE FARNBOROUGH NEWS Vol. 7 Issue 1, 17 July 2008, FARNBOROUGH 2008 NEWS, BAE SYSTEMS AND UK MOD ANNOUNCE MANTIS UAS DEMONSTRATOR PROGRAMME). Not a word from Baroness Taylor about this in her speech? Would it upset the Thales Watchkeeper team in their multi-story chalet?

Back to Finmeccanica. Some ten years ago the Italian Government decided that defence and aerospace would be a central plank to rejuvenate the Italian economy at the same time as our Government decided the opposite! Italy needed a national champion to vie with the growing partially state-owned Thales and thus Italy decided to build its own defence champion on the back of its Finmeccanica Company. The first Farnborough where the Company showed its credentials was in 2004 where the Press Conferences were given in a mix of Italio-English with many Italians chattering in the background! However a plethora of pretty girls took away the pain! Last Farnborough was much more professional but nothing compared to this year. But, lookin

Primary Sidebar

Advertisers

  • qioptiq.com
  • Exensor
  • TCI
  • Visit the Oxley website
  • Visit the Viasat website
  • Blighter
  • SPECTRA
  • Britbots logo
  • Faun Trackway
  • Systematic
  • CISION logo
  • ProTEK logo
  • businesswire logo
  • ProTEK logo
  • ssafa logo
  • Atkins
  • IEE
  • EXFOR logo
  • DSEi
  • sibylline logo
  • Team Thunder logo
  • Commando Spirit - Blended Scoth Whisy
  • Comtech logo
  • GoExporting logo
  • Supercat logo
  • Galvion logo
Hilux Military Raceday Novemeber 2023 Chepstow SOF Week 2023

Contact Us

BATTLESPACE Publications
Old Charlock
Abthorpe Road
Silverstone
Towcester NN12 8TW

+44 (0)77689 54766

BATTLESPACE Technologies

An international defence electronics news service providing our readers with up to date developments in the defence electronics industry.

Recent News

  • PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

    May 26, 2023
    Read more
  • EXHIBITIONS AND CONFERENCES

    May 26, 2023
    Read more
  • MANAGEMENT ON THE MOVE

    May 26, 2023
    Read more

Copyright BATTLESPACE Publications © 2002–2023.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use the website, we'll assume you're ok with this.   Read More  Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT