Since the last iteration of the biennial Defence and Security Equipment International in September 2021, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and dramatically increased tensions over Taiwan and North Korea have given a shot of adrenaline to arms manufacturers worldwide.
"We are extremely busy," says Michael Elmore, head of sales at MTL Advanced, which specialises in processing and fabricating armoured steel at its factory near Sheffield. Estonian firm MILREM, a market leader for light unmanned ground vehicles, says some of its equipment has already been trialled in action in Ukraine for tasks such as route clearance, surveillance and casualty evacuation.
Britain doubled its arms exports in 2022 to a record £8.5 billion, dominated by major arms purchases from Qatar and Saudi Arabia with significant volumes also going to the United States and Turkey. British officials also hope the AUKUS agreement with the U.S. to provide nuclear submarine technology to Australia will open the door to further deals.