BAE shares slip despite guidance upgrade July 30, 2025 BAE shares slipped in early morning trade on Wednesday despite Britain’s biggest defence business upgraded its earnings guidance. The FTSE 100 firm increased its full year sales forecasts to growth of 8-10 per cent, up from 7-9 per cent, with underlying pre-tax earnings set to grow 9-11 per cent, up from 8-10 per cent. However, [...]
Sell-out Farnborough International Airshow boosted by Airbus and Boeing deals July 29, 2025 Finances at the company behind the Farnborough International Airshow took off after the bi-annual show saw deals worth more £81bn agreed, it has been revealed. The accounts for Farnborough International, which runs the airshow as well as an exhibition and conference centre alongside two film studios, show the business achieved a turnover of £52.3m in [...]
Exclusive: Ministry of Defence fends off fake invoices in battle against fraudsters July 22, 2025 The Ministry of Defence has dismissed more than a thousand invoices in each of the last three years in a warning sign that fraudsters are targeting government services. A Freedom of Information request has unveiled the extent of invoices given the red flag by the government and their total value. These can include claims for [...]
Cohort’s shares rally after soaring defence demand spikes profit July 16, 2025 Defence tech group Cohort shot past market expectations for the year ending April 30 as geopolitical tensions helped spike demand. The London-listed firm, whose customers included the UK Ministry of Defence, recorded a pre-tax profit of £25.6m, up 29 per cent from 2024. This came as revenue jumped 33 per cent to £270m as the [...]
UK and France agree to co-ordinate on nuclear deterrent July 10, 2025 The UK and France will co-ordinate more closely over nuclear deterrent plans, with any adversaries “threatening the vital interests” of either nations set to face a joint response to attacks. In a new agreement struck between Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, the two countries will work together on nuclear research and take a more aligned [...]
Starmer and Macron hope for ‘progress’ on defence and migration at summit July 5, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron have said they hope to make “good progress” on issues including migration and defence when they meet next week, Number 10 has said. The two leaders will hold a summit when the French President travels to the UK for a state visit next week, with the two leaders speaking [...]
Hackathons help UK defence tech take flight June 27, 2025 Sandhurst isn’t the first place one might liken to Silicon Valley. Yet, the Royal Military Academy – long a symbol of tradition in British defence – is becoming a new hub for defence technology innovation. At a recent 24 hour defence tech hackathon, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst hosted coders, engineers and military veterans alike, [...]
Babcock shares soar as FTSE 100 giant hails ‘new era’ for defence June 25, 2025 Engineering giant Babcock posted a jump in profit for the latest financial year as the firm’s boss hailed a “new era for defence”. The FTSE 100 company – which plays a significant role in supporting the UK’s nuclear submarine program – recorded an 11 per cent increase in revenue to £4.8bn. Meanwhile, operating profit surged [...]
Higher tax ‘inevitable’ as PM makes defence spending pledge June 24, 2025 Keir Starmer’s fresh commitment to ramp up defence spending to five per cent as a share of GDP by 2035 will almost certainly have to be funded by more tax hikes, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)’ Paul Johnson has warned. The government’s pledge to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence and a [...]
Absence of defence spending plan ‘entirely unsatisfactory’ June 20, 2025 The government has been “entirely unsatisfactory” in failing to assess whether their defence spending plans are affordable, a group of senior MPs has said, in a damning assessment of ministers’ transparency. The row comes amid concerns spending on the nuclear deterrent would be higher than first assumed. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government would [...]