Guardian News and Media/London
British troops have been put to work demonstrating the wares of arms companies ranging from drone manufacturers to cyber-warfare specialists for a range of foreign buyers over the past two years.
Records obtained by the Guardian provide an insight into the extent of assistance given by the armed forces to private arms companies. The practice is part of a government drive to boost the armed forces sector.
Sales events have included a demonstration of Eskan Electronics’ equipment hosted by the army for the Egyptian military, which took place in November at Larkhill, home to one of the main garrisons on Salisbury Plain and the site of more than half of the demonstrations held to aid the sales pitches of arms firms over the past two years.
Among others, armed forces personnel hosted delegations from Qatar on two occasions last year to demonstrate products being sold by a range of companies, including two leading manufacturers of drones - Thales and Rockwell Collins UK.
Britain has been planning to increase the sale of arms to Qatar, identifying the rich Gulf state as a priority market for its weapons.
UK Trade and Investment released the records in response to a freedom of information request, but in many cases the names of the foreign delegation and the UK arms firms involved were redacted.
In the months before the Egyptian visit late last year, RAF personnel also took part in demonstrations with the branch of the army involved in drone warfare. However, the MoD has refused to reveal the name of the British arms firm involved, or the name of the potential client viewing the demos at the department’s Boscombe Down aircraft-testing site in Wiltshire.
Other demonstrations included a showcase by various branches of the armed forces at RAF Honington, Suffolk, in September during a visit by the Pakistani military.
Caroline Lucas, who is seeking re-election as the Green party’s MP in Brighton, said: “This is a staggering admission by the government.
“Our soldiers should be spending their time training, not acting as cheerleaders for private companies. I’m sure most of the public will be as alarmed as I am at the idea of our soldiers becoming salesmen. The Conservative government is at pains to say they want free market competition, so why are privately owned armaments companies allowed to use our soldiers as part of their sales force?”
The demonstrations were hosted by Export Support Team (EST), a branch of the UKTI Defence and Security Organisation (DSO), which helps promote UK arms exports.
While the UKTI DSO says that the support team is unable to endorse specific companies, its services range from advising exporters, assisting in promotional activity, hosting visits, providing after-sales training and support to foreign military buyers, and attending global arms exhibitions in uniform. A promotional video on the UKTI site says: “Exports have never been more important and the market has never been more competitive.”
