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 [...]
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 [...]
Spending Review: Reeves promises UK will become defence ‘superpower’ June 11, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged the UK will become a “defence industrial superpower” as she confirmed military spending would rise to 2.6 per cent of GDP (gross domestic product) by April 2027. Unveiling the government’s much-anticipated Spending Review, Reeves told the House of Commons: “A new era in the threats we face demands a new [...]
Babcock: FTSE 100 shares double in value to ten-year high June 4, 2025 Shares in Babcock, the FTSE 100 aerospace, defence and nuclear engineering services giant, have rocketed to their highest value since 2015 after doubling in price. The London-listed group has enjoyed a bumper 2025 so far, with its share price rising from just over 500p at the start of January to now be priced at more [...]
FTSE 100 defence stocks: Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Babcock shares surge June 2, 2025 Shares in FTSE 100 giants Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Babcock have surged off the back of the UK government unveiled its strategic defence review. Plans to build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines have been included in the 130-page document, which concludes UK must prepare for conflict in Europe or the Atlantic and move [...]
UK must be prepared for conflict in Europe or Atlantic, defence review to conclude June 2, 2025 The UK plans to build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines, it will be announced on Monday as the government unveils its strategic defence review. The 130-page document will conclude UK must prepare for conflict in Europe or the Atlantic and move to “war-fighting readiness” as a countermeasure to Russian aggression. But Sir Keir [...]
Government plan to build munitions factories to ‘better deter our adversaries’ May 31, 2025 Building at least six munitions and energetics factories will “better deter our adversaries”, defence secretary John Healey has said as part of plans for an “always on” weapons pipeline. The Government has pledged £1.5bn as part of the strategic defence review (SDR) to set up at least six factories, and will support the procurement of [...]
Sir Ben Wallace: Former defence secretary gets new job April 28, 2025 Former defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace has taken up his second private sector role since retiring from politics, joining the board of an engineering firm specialising in energy security. Advanced Innergy Holdings (AIS) supplies industrial and energy clients with technology used to protect a wide range of assets, ranging from subsea cables to offshore wind [...]
War, what is it good for? The defence industry February 24, 2025 The government has announced some of the ministry of defence in over 50 years, and there is one important element which should be firmly on the radar of business, says Eliot Wilson Last week the defence secretary, John Healey, gave a speech at the Institute for Government (IfG) on “reforming UK defence”. What would normally [...]
Rolls-Royce signs £9bn submarines deal to create 1,000 jobs January 24, 2025 Rolls-Royce has signed a £9bn submarines deal which will create 1,000 jobs and is the biggest UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) contract in its history. The eight-year Unity contract covers research and technology, design, manufacture and in-service support of the nuclear reactors that power the Royal Navy’s fleet of submarines. The Derby-headquartered FTSE 100 giant [...]