Alternative Careers Guide

February 15, 2009

The Alternative

Careers Guide

What the Careers Service

hasn’t been telling you

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Photo by Lewis Bush

Introduction

The Careers Service at Warwick aims to offer students impartial advice and information about the jobs and companies it supports, so that graduates can make well-informed choices about who they want to work for^{^[1]}. But there are a few important details that you won’t find in the graduate recruitment packs; so in the interests of free education and information we have put an alternative careers guide together for you, a quick rundown of everything they probably will not tell you.

The Careers Service and the graduate recruitment services of several large ‘engineering’ firms have been systematically misrepresenting their activities to students. For instance: how would you like to be working for a company with “a long commitment to education…to help ensure young people have the best possible start in life”^{^[2]}, one that offers “exciting career opportunities…in a wide range of professional disciplines…with facilities located across the UK, and businesses seeking to grow their capabilities to meet new customer opportunities”, who can “offer you the chance to develop a career you can be proud of”^{^[3]}? But what they are carefully skirting around is the unfortunate fact that the company in question is BAE systems, the 3^rd largest global arms manufacturer, currently under investigation over arms deals in Chile, Czech Republic, Qatar, Romania, South Africa and Tanzania, subject to a Serious Fraud Office investigation into the Al Yamamah arms deal to Saudi Arabia which was abruptly shut down in 2006 over suspect reasons of national security, and revealed by the Sunday Times to have carried out a “widespread spying operation” on its critics where “bank accounts were accessed, computer files downloaded and private correspondence with members of parliament and ministers secretly copied and passed on.”

Campaign groups such as the Campaign Against the Arms Trade and Weapons out of Warwick are fighting on a local and global scale to educate, and to expose the activities of arms companies. Not all are exclusively devoted to defence and security, like BAE: Rolls Royce, for instance, is more likely bring to mind flash cars than fighter jets and nuclear submarines, yet they receive roughly a quarter of their profits from the arms trade.

Arm companies profit from conflict, murder and destruction. An increase in global instability and conflict is in their direct and highly lucrative interest, if their companies are going to continue to, in the words of BAE CEO Mike Turner, “achieve sustainable and profitable growth well into the future”^{^[4]}. An expansion in arms dealing relies on an expansion of war, a greater number of dead and more schools, homes and communities wiped out. The arms trade severely undermines human rights, security and economic development at global, regional, national and local levels.

It is not our aim to prevent students from working for these companies if they choose, but it is our aim to provide them with all the facts before they come to make that decision. Weapons Out Of Warwick holds strong views on the arms trade but we recognise that not all students share this view. The Careers service recommends that students find out all they can about companies before joining them; this guide aims to provide that information. We have defined an arms company as any company who designs or manufactures products specifically for the military application.

BAE Systems

3^rd Largest Arms Manufacturer in the World. Largest UK arms Company. £15.7 billion sales[5], £11.8 billion military sales, 83% military[6]. 6 Ongoing Corruption investigations in the UK (not including the Serious Fraud Office inquiry into the Al Yamamah Saudi deal, stopped by the government). Less than 20% of BAE’s sales are to the UK[7]. In September 2003 The Sunday Times reported that BAE had hired a private security contractor to collate information about individuals working at the Campaign Against Arms Trade and their activities.In February 2007, it again obtained private confidential information from CAAT. In September 2005 The Guardian alleged that banking records showed that BAE paid £1 million to Augusto Pinochet, the former Chilean dictator.

Products include: Assault rifles and handguns (H&K), Combat Aircraft, Nuclear weapons (via MBDA), Missiles, Artillery Guns, Munitions, Armoured Vehicles, Tanks, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Warships, Radar Systems, Nuclear Submarines and shackles used in Guantanamo Bay and Saudi Arabia (from their subsidiary Hiatts[8]).

Military customers of note include the UK, US, Israel, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia (Hawk Jets sold during the violent repression of East Timor), India, Pakistan, Tanzania, Lebanon, Poland, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Romania, Chile, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Columbia, Egypt, Ghana, Afghanistan, Brazil, Columbia, Qatar, Algeria (via Qatar)[9], Malaysia, Kenya, Czech Republic, Sweden, Morocco (including attempting to secure a deal in the conflict area of Western Sahara), Greece, Germany, Italy, Austria, Australia, Finland, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Nepal, Uruguay, Vietnam,

Rolls Royce

17^th Largest Arms Manufacturer in the world[10]. 2^nd Largest UK Arms Company. Approximately $14.2 Billion of Military Sales making up 25% of total sales[11]. Rolls Royce is the 2^nd Largest Manufacturer of Aerospace Engines powering approximately 25% of the world’s military aircraft and has its equipment installed on over 2,200 warships including all of the UK’s nuclear submarines.

Rolls Royce Produces engines for Military aircraft made by other arms companies such as BAE systems, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, they manufacture the engines for the Eurofighter, Jaguar, Harrier, Tornado, Hawk Jet, Apache and Tiger attack helicopters. Rolls Royce also deals in ship design, electronics for naval forces and submarine equipment. Rolls Royce’s Subsidiary Rolls Royce Raynesway manufacturers parts for nuclear reactors including control rods, valves and other components and its plant at Raynesway has numerous safety concerns about the control and techniques for nuclear waste disposal[12].

Military customers include Israel, Indonesia (Hawk jets sold during the East Timor conflict and allegedly used against civilians in the Aceh province), Turkey, US, UK, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, UAE, Brunei, Malaysia, South Korea, Kenya and Zimbabwe. Rolls Royce also sells the jet engines used in the Myanmar national airline which is a nationalised operation which helps finance the Burmese Junta.

Park Air Systems (Northrop Grumman)

4^th Largest Arms Manufacturer in the World¹. Total sales for 2006 US$30.1 billion, 90% military sales[13]. A 1999 lawsuit accuses Northrop of knowingly giving the Navy defective drones from 1988 to 1998 and seeks $210 million in damages. A 1992 case filed in Illinois questions how Northrop accounted for “scrap” parts, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. That suit seeks $113 million in damages. Deputy Secretary of Defence Paul Wolfowitz, Vice-Presidential Chief of Staff I. Lewis Libby, Pentagon Comptroller Dov Zakheim, and Sean O’Keefe, director of NASA all former Northrop officials, consultants, or shareholders currently holding positions in the Bush administration[14]. Also Northrop recently lost a previously acquired $35bn refuelling tanker contract with the US Air Force after complaints of illegal bidding practices[15].

Products include: Advanced Radar Systems, Missile Defence Systems, High-Energy Laser Systems, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Ship Systems, Mission Systems. Specific work include: managing, operating and providing infrastructure support for the Nevada nuclear testing site, B2 Stealth Bomber, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, Kinetic Energy inceptor missile shields, Military Satellites, Global Hawk unmanned aircraft, Fire scout unmanned attack helicopter, F-5 Freedom Fighter, T-38 Talon, 25% of the Parts for the F-35 Lightning, Zumwalt class destroyer, Nimitz class aircraft carrier, Virginia class attack submarine, Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier, Aegis Class guided missile destroyer, numerous amphibious assault vessels, Night Vision Goggles[16], Northrop’s subsidiary Vinnell Corporation was replaced after failing to fulfil its $48 million contract to train the Iraqi Army.

Military customers include US, China, Israel, Russia, Iran, Morocco, Chile, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Libya , Venezuela , Brazil, Kenya , Turkey , Jordan, Singapore, , Kuwait, Ethiopia, Malaysia, , Bahrain, South Korea, , Germany, Portugal, Philippines, Mexico, Thailand, Tunisia, Yemen, Vietnam, Australia, Canada and the UK.

QinetiQ

27^th Largest arms manufacturer in the world, 3^rd Largest UK arms company. £1 billion arms sales per year, 83% Military sales.

Combat Vehicle Systems (vehicle sensors, displays, power systems), Ballistic missile defence systems (navigation, guidance, detection systems), aircraft maintenance & repair, pilot Equipment (Helmets), Missile Systems, Close Combat Systems (small arms, cannons, infantry systems), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Communication Systems, Surveillance Systems[17]

Military sales include the US, UK, Israel (Joint Strike Fighter), Turkey, Austraila, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands and the Philippines.[18]

EADS Defence and Security Systems Limited

8^th Largest Arms Manufacturer in the World, Approximately $16 Billion of military sales in 2006[19], 20% of business is military.

EADS products include fighter and transport aircraft, helicopters and missiles. They also manufacture Nuclear Missile launch systems, Cruise Missiles, Ballistic Defence Missiles (Controversially being used the “Missile Shield” by the US and NATO), Eurofighter and Tiger Attack Helicopters.

Deals of special interest include Cougar Helicopters to Brazil, Super Puma Helicopters to Indonesia, Exocet Missiles to Qatar and Oman, Anti-Tank missiles to Turkey, Mistral Missiles to South Korea. EADS also sells military aircraft to more than 89 operators in 38 countries including Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Indonesia, South Korea, Oman, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Poland, The United Arab Emirates[20] and allegedly Burma (Via India)[21].

Thales

11^th Largest Arms Manufacturers in the World, second largest UK arms company. Approximately $7 million in military sales, 50% of business is Military.[22]

Military Products include: Air Defence Systems, Missile Systems, Surveillance Systems, Submarines, Helicopters, Communication Systems, Patrol Vessels, Combat Systems, Radar Systems and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Thales also specialises in electronics for many types of military vehicles including tanks, aircraft and warships. Thales claims to be ‘present on all types of air, sea and ground military platforms’.[23]

Thales is prime contractor for the Sawari 2 programme, which involves supplying three frigates to Saudi Arabia equipped with the Arabel multi-function anti-air fire control radar and Aster missile system.[24] In Indonesia and Japan Thales has won contracts for maritime patrol systems. Thales is prime contractor for electronic warfare systems for naval vessels and was selected by Brunei for its Waspada ships and by the UK for “Type 45” destroyers.[25] Shorts Missile Systems, which is now owned by Thales, has delivered over 60,000 missiles to 56 armed forces worldwide[26].[27] Thales is also implicated (as well as EADS) in selling the “Advanced Light Helicopter” to Burma (via India)¹³ and licensed production of night-vision equipment to China (despite an EU embargo), Thales has also allegedly sold arms to Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Columbia.

General Electric

28^th Largest Arms Manufacturer in the world. Revenue for the Industrial division of GE is $13.8 Billion[28]. One of the world’s top 3 Jet Manufacturers

GE specialises in engines and component for aircraft, Helicopters tanks and small marine vessels. GE engines can be found in the C5, Air Force One, F-14, F-15, F-16, Stealth Bomber (B-2), U-2, Joint Strike Fighter, Stealth Fighter (F-117), India LCA, X-45B (unmanned attack aircraft), F/A-18 Super Hornet, J79, M1 Abrams Tank, AH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter, A-10 Thunderbolt and others[29]. GE claims that their engines are found in over 55 Countries. GE also sells component for submarines and warships including the US and UK nuclear submarines. GE has also designed more than 90 nuclear facilities and was involved in testing the effects of radiation on humans.

GE supplies US, UK, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt, Thailand and many others.

AWE

AWE makes and maintains the UK’s nuclear weapons. AWE is 1/3 owned by the US company Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest arms company, 1/3 by the UK firm Serco, and 1/3 by the UK government owned BNFL. The BNFL 1/3 is currently in the process of being sold to either the US firm Jacobs or Fluor. AWE was in the news in 2006 by its attempts to circumvent nuclear testing treaties by developing a new “Reliable Replacement Warhead”, according to Matrix Chambers; this may be a material breach of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. By continuing to possess and make new nuclear weapons, Britain is failing to comply with its obligations to disarm under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which it signed in 1968. The Trident replacement programme to build a new generation of nuclear deterrents is thought to cost the UK taxpayer £75bn over 50 years[30].

Cummins

Cummins is the largest supplier of diesel engines for defence purposes in the Western world and works closely with other arms companies such as BAE systems and Lockheed Martin. Cummins engines can be found in the VSEL AS90 self-propelled howitzer, Bradley Armoured Fighting Vehicle, the MRLS self-propelled rocket launcher, the Scorpion light tank[31]

Cummins military Products are used in the militaries of the US, Israel[32], China, Sudan[33], UK, Czech Republic, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, France, Austria and Poland.

Land Rover

Land Rover’s Defender 4×4 is used for both civilian and military purposes around the world. Land Rover claims to have 70,000 of its vehicles in use around the world[34]. Land Rovers can be found with the militaries and security forces in Zimbabwe, Sudan[35], Israel and UK.

Airbus

Airbus is a subsidiary of EADS, the 7^th largest arms company worldwide. Airbus also manufactures military products itself, mainly transport and refuelling aircraft.

Products include the A400M tactical transport aircraft, the Multi-Role Tanker Transport and the KC-45 refuelling aircraft.

Customers include the US, United Arab Emirate, Turkey, UK, Spain, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium.

Unipart

Unipart is an established supplier of services to the UK Defence sector, offering supply chain capabilities and experience of continuous improvement and lean operations.

Unipart’s military products include Future Integrated Soldier Technolgy (FIST): “The FIST system will provide the soldier with improved situational awareness, lethality and survivability.”[36] Battlegroup Thermal Imaging (BGTI) is a programme collaborating with Thales (11^th largest arms company globally[37]) to fit thermal imaging (TI) sights to Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFV) and CVR(T) Scimitar Close Reconnaissance variants.

These vehicles are currently sold to the militaries of the Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Ireland, Brunei, Botswana, Nigerian, Oman, Philippines, Spain, Thailand, Venezuela, Honduras, Chile, Belgium, UK, Canada, Germany.

Detica

Detica is owned by BAE systems (92% controlling stake. Detica provides consultancy, customized technology, and knowledge management services to government and corporate clients in the defence, homeland security, counterterrorism, intelligence, and Federal markets sectors. BAE believes the UK ‘homeland security and resilience market’ will double to more than £3bn by 2011 and looks to cash in on this[38].

Defence Science Technology Laboratory (DSTL)

DSTL is owned and operated by the Ministry of Defence, it is a hugely secretive organisation that works on high tech military products.

DSTL specialise in biological and chemical warfare, working with anthrax and highly toxic poisons. Their Porton Down site is notorious for testing LSD on armed forces volunteers without their permission and testing the effects of mustard gas on people from different nationalities to study the damage.

MBDA

Part of 8^th Largest Arms Manufacturer in the World (owned by EADS, BAE and Marconi), 100% Military, Largest manufacturers of guided missiles in the world.

MBDA boasts over 70 customers worldwide including the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Qatar (Exocet Missiles), Oman, Turkey ((Anti-Tank missiles), South Korea (Mistral Missiles), Poland, Israel and India.

Atkins

£100m in yearly revenues from military contracts.

Atkins provides consultancy services to private arms companies and the MoD. Atkin’s projects include the Rolls Royce made Nuclear reactors for submarines, “Type 45 Destroyer” warships made by BAE systems, military aircraft with QinetiQ and Boeing and armoured vehicles made working with DSTL. The Type 45 Destroyer is likely to be sold to Saudi Arabia.[39]

Ricardo

Ricardo provides consultancy for automotive applications. Services include weapon mounting systems, armoured vehicles, systems integration for military applications. Past products include Military Humvees, Armoured Land Rovers and Light tanks such as the CVR(T)[40].

Jacobs

Jacobs provides management consultancy and contruction services to military customers including the MoD, US military, BAE systems, Warships Support Agency and the Atomic Weapons Establishment. Jacobs is involved in construction of facilities for the BAE made Type 45 destroyers[41] to me sold to Saudi Arabia. Jacobs was involved in the construction of docks for UK nuclear armed submarines.

IPL

IPL specialises in software products for arms companies and the MoD. IPL products include software for the Merlin Helicopter used for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare roles. IPL supplies EADS with bespoke software (EADS is the 7^th Largest arms manufacturer in the world[42]).

AMEC

Provides project management services for military services around the world. AMEC has worked with the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston and has interests in nuclear weapons. AMEC has many contracts building and maintaining military facilities around the world regardless of their usage.

Military customers include the UK, US, Iraq, Canada, Eastern Europe, Pacific rim and the Middle East.

Lloyds Register

Lloyds Register provide management and technical consultancy services to navies around the world, Lloyds register also consults on defence procurement[43]. Lloyds Register has provided consultancy for arms companies such as Thales[44]. Lloyds Register provides maintenance services for marine vessels including military craft as well as advising on technical design issues.

Tessella

Tessella produces bespoke products for numerous arms companies including working on systems in the new “Type 45 Anti-Air Warfare destroyers” working directly for BAE systems. Tessella is also involved in nuclear experimentation with contract for the JET fusion reactor and Sellafield.

Tessella’s clients include BAE systems, EADS, AWE, British Nuclear Group, Lockheed Martin, MOD, Thales and various Oil companies including Total (Currently Operating in Burma).

Infosys

Infosys provides consultancy on manufacturing, design and information technology areas of the defence industry.

Special Metals Wiggin

Special Metals is a world leader in the invention, production and supply of the high-nickel, high-performance alloys used for the difficult jobs in engineering. Its high strength alloys are specified for military supersonic aircraft, helicopters and spacecraft as well as marine applications for military ships and submarines.

Oliver Wyman

Oliver Wyman is a consultancy company that works with large arms companies particularly in the aerospace area. “Oliver Wyman helps leading Aerospace & Defence firms develop value growth strategies, improve operations, and maximize organizational effectiveness.”[45]

Nestlé

The Warwick Student’s Union supports the Baby Milk Action’s boycott of Nestlé[46]. Nestlé employs approximately 253,000 people in some 511 factories worldwide. Nestlé is the world’s largest food company[47]. With products like Perrier and Nescafé, it is the market leader worldwide in coffee and mineral water[48], the largest manufacturer of pet food, and is fast increasing its share of the ice cream market.

Needless to say, however, this version doesn’t give a very full explanation of the scandals which have plagued the company. The most obvious damage to Nestlé’s reputation has been its unethical marketing of artificial baby milk, particularly in the global south. This started to become a major issue in the 1970s when War on Want published a report called “The Baby Killer”, which was translated into German by the Berne Third World Action Group who were subsequently sued for libel, having named their version “Nestlé Kills Babies”.[49] In 1977 a boycott was launched, which continued until 1984, when Nestlé agreed to abide by the World Health Organization’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes. However, the fact did not match up to the promises and the boycott was re-launched in 1988, continuing vigorously today.

There is, of course, much more to Nestlé than the baby milk issue. The company has attracted criticism for its use of genetically modified ingredients, and for its cocoa and coffee-buying policies, including purchasing cocoa from Ivory Coast, which has recently received heavy press coverage due to the existence of child slavery on cocoa plantations. The company has also been implicated in lobbying against vaccination of livestock during the British Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in 2001. From environmental destruction in Brazil to the intimidation of trade unionists in Colombia, from demanding millions in compensation from hunger-stricken Ethiopia to bolstering its image through proposing donations to breast cancer charities – Nestlé is one of the world’s most campaigned against companies. [50]

Royal Bank of Scotland

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is a hugely significant private funder of oil and gas extraction and exploration. Between 2001 and 2006, RBS provided over $10 billion in loans to oil and gas projects. The embedded carbon emissions resulting from these projects in 2006 were greater than the carbon emissions for the whole of Scotland. RBS has positioned itself as ‘the oil and gas bank’. With dedicated oil and gas offices, RBS has significant experience and expertise in the sector, and provides crucial services to oil and gas companies. Working as a hands-on partner to the industry, RBS structured the loan agreements and acted as financial adviser on over $30 billion of projects between 2001 and 2006. Other banks describe RBS as the most competitive in the sector, prepared to undercut other banks and offer cheaper loans and finance the projects no other British bank will.

The intimate relationship that RBS has with the fossil fuel industry extends to new areas of expansion. As traditional oil extraction begins to peak, unconventional fossil fuels, such as oil sands and coal bed methane, are becoming a reality. Previously inaccessible, this ‘dirty’ oil requires far more energy to convert into usable forms than traditional crude oil, resulting in much higher carbon emissions. RBS has called the development of oil sands an “energy-financing growth area”, and identified the need for “drilling dollars” for coal bed methane development. [51]

The NUS and Warwick Students Union is committed to putting pressure on RBS due to RBS’s poor environmental record. The NUS National Treasurer has written twice to the RBS Chairman, threatening to stop banning with them and “…seek alternative, more ethical banking options” by their AGM in 2009, should RBS not significantly change this support and conduct a full and published investigation into their entire, embedded carbon footprint.[52]

^{^[1]} http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/careers/about/faq/

^{^[2]}http://www.baesystems.com/Careers/CareersinYourCountry/UK/StudentsandSchoolLeavers/index.htm

^{^[3]} http://www.baesystems.com/Careers/CareersinYourCountry/UK/index.htm

^{^[4]} http://www.baesystems.com/BAEProd/groups/public/documents/bae_publication/bae_pdf_cr_crreport2007vii.pdf

[5] BAE systems website, key facts for journalists, http://www.baesystems.co.uk/AboutUs/FactSheet/index.htm

[6] World Rank is from the 2006 top 100 taken from Defense News Top 100 July 2007

[7] CAAT Publications – Arms Fairs, DSEI (2003), http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/armsfairs/dsei-2003-report/baes.php, Accessed 5/11/07

[8] As used on the famous Nelson Mandela, Thomas, 2006, Ebury Press pp212-222

[9] CorporateWatch – BAE systems, A corporate Profile 2003, http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=182

[10] CAAT Publications – Rolls Royce, http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/rolls-royce2003.php , Accessed 7/10/07

[11] Rolls Royce Annual Report 2006, http://www.rolls-royce.com/investors/reports/2006/pdfs/rrar_2006.pdf , accessed 7/10/07

[12] “A basic summary of what we know about Rolls Royce Raynesway (RRR) and Rolls Royce (RR) as a company” handout.

[13] Publications – Northrop Grumman, http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/northrop.php, Accessed 1/11/08

[14] Corpwatch: Northrop Gumman, http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?list=type&type=11 accessed 1/11/08

[15] The Times 11/9/08

[16] Northrop Grumman capabilities brochure

[17] CAAT Publications – QinetiQ, http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/qinetiq.php , Accessed 5/11/07

[18] QinetiQ Annual report 2007, http://www.investis.com/reports/qntq_ar_2007_en/report.php? , Accessed 5/11/07

[19] EADS Annual Review, http://www.eads.com/xml/content/OF00000000400004/5/07/41590075.pdf, Accessed 7/10/07

[20] CAAT Publications – EADS, http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/eads2003.php , Accessed 7/10/07

[21] “Indian helicopters for Myanmar: making a mockery of the EU arms embargo?”, Amnesty International Report, http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA200142007?open&of=ENG-2AS , Accessed 7/10/07

[22] CAAT Publications – Thales, http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/thales.php , Accessed 7/10/07

[23] www.thalesgroup.com/ga/business_zone/defence/home.htm , Accessed 24/8/03

[24] http://www.thalesgroup.com/ga/business_zone/defence/naval.htm, accessed 24/08/03

[25] http://www.thalesgroup.com/ga/business_zone/defence/airborne.htm, accessed 24/08/03

[26] http://www.thalesgroup.co.uk/ga/business_zone/defence/AirDefence.htm, accessed 13/08/03

[27] http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/thales2003.php, accessed 7/10/07

[28] GE Annual Report 2006, Financial Statement, Segment Operations, Industrial Segment, http://www.ge.com/ar2006/mda_segop_ind.htm , accessed 7/10/07

[29] GE Military Engines http://www.geaviation.com/engines/military/index.html, accessed 7/10/07

[30] Time for a real review of defence spending, Robert Fox, Guardian Comment is free, 4/9/08

[31] World Defence Systems Website- Company Profiles – Cummins http://www.sovereign-publications.com/cummins.htm accessed 30/9/08

[32] Defense update online defense magazine http://www.defense-update.com/newscast/0608/news/news1706_euro_xtream.htm accessed 30/9/08

[33] Amnesty International Annual Report 2006

[34] Army Technology Website – Land Rover http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/vehicles/ landrover/accesssed 1/10/08

[35] “British firm breaks Sudan arms boycott” Jon Swain & Brian Johnson Thomas Sunday Times, 22/4/2007

[36] Unipart Defence Website http://www.udefence.com/cms/udalweb.nsf/vCategory/7B3DAAF53D89EDDF802571FD00511574?OpenDocument accessed 29/9/08

[37] World Rank is from the 2006 top 100 taken from Defense News Top 100 July 2007

[38] Financial Times 29/7/08

[39] “UK seek £2bn Saudi destroyer contract”, Michael Harrison, The Independent, Published 9/3/2007, http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2341426.ece , Accessed 14/10/07

[40] Ricardo Document – Defence Systems and Technology, http://www.ricardo.com/download/pdf/DS+T4pp_lr_1.pdf, Accessed 5/11/07

[41] Jacob Babtie – Facilities for type 45 on the Clyde http://www.jacobsbabtie.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?id=4&c=4&d=1040 , Accessed 5/11/07

[42] CAAT Publications –EADS, http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/eads.php , Accessed 14/10/07

[43] Lloyds Register Website – “Sectors We Serve – Defence”, http://www.lr.org/Industries/Defence, Accessed 5/11/07

[44] LRQA Website – Case Studies, Thales, http://www.lr.org/Industries/LRQA/Case+studies/Thales.htm, Accessed 5/11/07

[45] Oliver Wyman Industry Capabilities http://www.oliverwyman.com/ow/85.htm , accessed 7/10/07

[46] Warwick Students Union Policy 506 “Nestle”

[47] Nestle Website http://www.Nestlé.com/all_about/at_a_glance/index.html

[48] Hoovers Database, Nestle – Company overview www.hoovers.com/co/capsule/5/0,2163,41815,00.html

[49] Baby Milk Action, History of the Campaign, www.babymilkaction.org/www.babymilkaction.org/pages/history.html

[50] Corporate Watch, Nestle Overview http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=237

[51] People and Planet, “The Oil Bank of Scotland, RBS Campaign Summary” http://peopleandplanet.org/ditchdirtydevelopment/privatefunding

[52] Warwick Students Union Policy 684 “Putting pressure on Natwest/RBS”

Photo by Lewis Bush

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Posted by barnabyp

Warwick Solidarity Sit-in

January 22, 2009

Since 12.30 yesterday the lecture theatre SO.21 has been reclaimed for discussion, talks, films and expressing solidarity with the victims of the Israel-Palestine conflict in the light of the recent violence in Gaza. The students occupying are approaching the issue from a pro-peace direction and are demanding that the university stop its support for arms companies who profit out of this conflict. Therefore Weapons out of Warwick would like to express its solidarity with the action of these brave students and are going to provide support in what ways they can. Please see the website for the sit-in at www.warwicksolidaritysitin.wordpress.com

Peace

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Posted by barnabyp

Unethical Careers Service

January 20, 2009

By Barnaby Pace

First Published Warwick Boar 20/1/09

There is a group in the world that facilitates murder, evades the legal system, spies on its enemies and is implicated in war crimes, terrorism and genocide, and no I am not talking about the Bush administration right now. I am in fact referring to the global arms industry. It is alone in its reckless pursuit of profit through selling products designed to kill to whoever they can. Arms dealers can take many forms, from the seedy gun runners who transport weapons violating UN embargoes to Liberia, Somalia or North Korea, but more often those in the arms trade appear more like the average businessman or worker. However these two extremes of appearance cannot be separated, it is the big companies of this world that produce the weapons that end up all over the world, you cannot talk about Victor Bout (portrayed in the film Lord of War) without talking about companies such as BAE Systems or Lockheed Martin who make the weaponry in the first place.

In a capitalist based world the arms trade’s primary motive is profit, through selling weapons to whoever can pay, unsurprisingly those who pay often intend to use the weapons, this often conflicts with the legality and morality of the rest of society. As an arms company gets larger, it can pay for better political connections and better public relations, but the conflict between its activities and what it would like to admit is always there. The topic has become much more obvious over the last few years with the discoveries, investigations and court cases surrounding the Al-Yamamah arms deal to Saudi Arabia, in which BAE systems was the primary supplier of weaponry. It is alleged that BAE paid over £1 billion in bribes to members of the Saudi Regime. This case is not unique; BAE alone is currently being investigated for six other bribery cases around the world. Arms companies are not willing to disclose their customers, this may be common practice among many businesses. Most businesses however do not need to hide that they sold fighter jets to Robert Mugabe (as BAE and Rolls Royce have), torture equipment for Guantanamo Bay (BAE subsidiary Hiatts), or gave £1 million in bribes to General Pinochet (BAE again). This is merely a taste of what has been uncovered about the arms industry.

Arms companies frequently attempt to defend their activities, claiming that they are essential for employment, despite the huge subsidy they receive amounting to an estimated £13,153.23 per arms trade job. They claim to be essential for national security yet sell to anyone they can and skew our own military’s equipment purchases. They claim that “If we didn’t do, someone else would”, a defence heroin dealers would love if it worked in court. Arms companies must be forced to account for their actions and therefore what is needed is not PR but an examination of the facts.

I feel that everyone should know these facts about arms companies. I especially feel that students who might think about applying for jobs with arms companies should know these facts. Yet our own university inform students at all. Instead every few weeks an arms company will come and recruit on campus, spreading their own propaganda about their company, promoted and legitimised by the Careers Service. You might see some protestors outside the building handing out leaflets, asking arms industry representatives searching questions at their stalls, or unveiling t-shirts detailing facts about arms companies in the fair before being escorted out by security, believing that T-shirts with facts about arms companies are too disruptive. The Careers Service should be assisting students to learn the full facts about potential employers, instead the careers service advertises for companies, no matter their quality, and does not allow the negative side of the company to be seen. It is left to the handful of anti-arms trade campaigners to attempt to inform students about these companies’ dirty dealings that they will not include in their recruitment pitch. I am proud to be a part of the Weapons out of Warwick campaign, who oppose these merchants of death whose profits come at the unacceptable cost of causing the deaths of millions and untold suffering around the world.

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BAE protest at Warwick University

January 20, 2009

Account of our disruptive protest against a BAE recruitment event

Last Thursday, a group of Warwick university students, in opposition to the arms trade and in solidarity with Gaza, protested a recruitment event run by BAE and Warwick Careers Service. BAE is the third largest arms manufacturer in the world and the inclusion of Israel in its (very colourful) list of customers made action particularly important at this time for us. On their way in, attendees were leafleted with our BAE alternative careers guide (available at

https://weaponsoutofwarwick.wordpress.com/ ) At the start of the talk a group of students stood up, with one giving an excellent and emotive speech about the darker side of a career with BAE. During the talk itself a second group stood up to disrupt the presentation by reading a second speech, heroically ignoring the pleas of the Careers Service to be quiet. At the end of the BAE presentation the sheer number of students asking questions about the unethical nature of the company led to the group question session being abandoned. It is strengthening to be part of a broader campaign across universities against companies such as BAE and after our action we had much excited chatter about activism over a pint or two.

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Companies Profiles for the Warwick Internships Fair 15/1/09

January 14, 2009

The University careers service recommends that you find out as much about the companies attending the fair today as you can, we feel that this is a very reasonable suggestion. We feel that some of the companies attending today, are unlikely to give a full account of their activities and therefore this leaflet is intended to help you know the facts that the companies attending probably will not include in their recruitment pitch. Although the members of the Weapons out of Warwick campaign have strong opinions about the negative impact of these companies in the world, we acknowledge that not every student agrees with us, we feel that students whatever they’re opinion should be aware of the issues surrounding the arms trade, the environment, corporate ethics and any potential employers who visit our campus.

Rolls Royce

17^th Largest Arms Manufacturer in the world[1]. 2^nd Largest UK Arms Company. Approximately $14.2 Billion of Military Sales making up 25% of total sales[2]. Rolls Royce is the 2^nd Largest Manufacturer of Aerospace Engines powering approximately 25% of the world’s military aircraft and has its equipment installed on over 2,200 warships including all of the UK’s nuclear submarines.

Detica

Nestlé

The Warwick Student’s Union supports the Baby Milk Action’s boycott of Nestlé[5]. Nestlé employs approximately 253,000 people in some 511 factories worldwide. Nestlé is the world’s largest food company[6]. With products like Perrier and Nescafé, it is the market leader worldwide in coffee and mineral water[7], the largest manufacturer of pet food, and is fast increasing its share of the ice cream market.

Needless to say, however, this version doesn’t give a very full explanation of the scandals which have plagued the company. The most obvious damage to Nestlé’s reputation has been its unethical marketing of artificial baby milk, particularly in the global south. This started to become a major issue in the 1970s when War on Want published a report called “The Baby Killer”, which was translated into German by the Berne Third World Action Group who were subsequently sued for libel, having named their version “Nestlé Kills Babies”.[8] In 1977 a boycott was launched, which continued until 1984, when Nestlé agreed to abide by the World Health Organization’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes. However, the fact did not match up to the promises and the boycott was re-launched in 1988, continuing vigorously today.

Royal Bank of Scotland

For more information see weaponsoutofwarwick.wordpress.com

Or the Facebook group Weapons out of Warwick

Please recycle this leaflet

[1] CAAT Publications – Rolls Royce, http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/rolls-royce2003.php , Accessed 7/10/07

[2] Rolls Royce Annual Report 2006, http://www.rolls-royce.com/investors/reports/2006/pdfs/rrar_2006.pdf , accessed 7/10/07

[3] “A basic summary of what we know about Rolls Royce Raynesway (RRR) and Rolls Royce (RR) as a company” handout.

[4] Financial Times 29/7/08

[5] Warwick Students Union Policy 506 “Nestle”

[6] Nestle Website www.Nestlé.com/all_about/at_a_glance/index.html

[7] Hoovers Database, Nestle – Company overview www.hoovers.com/co/capsule/5/0,2163,41815,00.html

[8] Baby Milk Action, History of the Campaign, www.babymilkaction.org/www.babymilkaction.org/pages/history.html

[9] Corporate Watch, Nestle Overview http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=237

[10] People and Planet, “The Oil Bank of Scotland, RBS Campaign Summary” http://peopleandplanet.org/ditchdirtydevelopment/privatefunding

[11] Warwick Students Union Policy 684 “Putting pressure on Natwest/RBS”

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BAE Systems The alternative recruitment guide

January 14, 2009

BAE Systems

The Alternative

Recruitment Guide

The University careers service recommends that you find out as much about companies recruiting as you can. We feel that this is a very reasonable suggestion therefore to help out below you will find information that BAE systems probably will not include in their recruitment pitch.

Statistics

3^rd Largest Arms Manufacturer in the World. Largest UK arms Company. £13.7 billion sales, £11.8 billion military sales, 83% military[1]. Less than 20% of BAE’s sales are to the UK[2].

Products

Products include: Assault rifles , Combat Aircraft, Unmanned Aircraft, Nuclear Submarines, Warships, Nuclear weapons (via its subsidiary MBDA), Missiles, Torpedoes, Tanks, Artillery Guns, Munitions, Armoured Vehicles, Radar Systems, handcuffs and shackles used in Guantanamo Bay and Saudi Arabia (from their subsidiary Hiatts[3]).

Customers

BAE claims to sell to customers in more than 100 countries[4]. Military customers of note include the UK, US, Israel, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia (Hawk Jets sold during the violent repression of East Timor), India, Pakistan, Tanzania, Lebanon, Poland, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Romania, Chile, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Columbia, Egypt, Ghana, Afghanistan, Brazil, Columbia, Qatar, Algeria (via Qatar)[5], Malaysia, Kenya, Czech Republic, Sweden, Morocco (including attempting to secure a deal in the conflict area of Western Sahara), Greece, Germany, Italy, Austria, Australia, Finland, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Nepal, Uruguay and Vietnam,

Israel

There has been considerable concern at the supply by BAE Systems of ‘Head up Displays’ (HUD) for F-16 fighter aircraft destined for Israel. The first of Israel’s new order arrived in 2005 and the first 25 will F16s were fitted with BAE Systems HUDs. The remaining 77 were be fitted with Elbit HUDs. BAE systems are also supplying part of the ‘navigation suite’ and elements of the ‘self protection suite’ (including a BAE Systems/Rokar flare) for all Israel’s F16 jets. BAE also maintains a permanent office in Jerusalem.[6]

It has been rumoured that BAE’s “Suter” airborne network attack system was used by Israel in its bombing of Syria in 2007. “Suter” is developed by BAE Systems and integrated into U.S. unmanned aircraft by L-3 Communications. The system has been used or at least tested operationally in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last year.

The technology allows users to invade communications networks, see what enemy sensors see and even take over as systems administrator so sensors can be manipulated into positions so that approaching aircraft can’t be seen, they say. The process involves locating emitters with great precision and then directing data streams into them that can include false targets and misleading messages algorithms that allow a number of activities including control.[7]

Its is timely to remind readers that arms contracts typically last many years with support, upgrades and staged deliveries being provided many years after the original deal was signed.

Corruption and other scandals

BAE systems is currently being investigated over deals in Chile, Czech Republic, Qatar, Romania, South Africa and Tanzania. A serious fraud office investigation into the Al Yamamah arms deal to Saudi Arabia was shut down in 2006 over suspect reasons of national security.

In 2008 BAE released the “Woolf Report” into ethical practice at the company, the report failed to examine any past problems at the company and did not address key problems in judging which (or indeed any) arms deals can be considered ethical. Although BAE claims the report to be independent, the author, Lord Woolf, was paid £6,000 per day for writing it.[8]

Spying

A man named Paul Mercer was exposed in 2007 as having spied on Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) after court action. He was revealed to have been paid £2,500 a month by the giant arms company’s security department for his work against CAAT. He claims he was being paid to simply monitor the group and its activities. BAE is facing a wide range of bribery allegations’. Mercer obtained a CD with details of confidential CAAT legal advice and at the end of 2006 passed it to Michael McGinty, head of BAE’s security department, BAE was successfully sued in the high court in 2007 and it was revealed that the company had been “obstructing justice” in the words of the judge. The judge decided there was “undoubtedly” evidence supporting suspicions that the firm had in the past penetrated the campaign to obtain information covertly, BAE were forced to admit their source for receiving CAAT’s legal advice.[9]

In 2003, the Sunday Times revealed that BAE had carried out a “widespread spying operation” on its critics. “Bank accounts were accessed, computer files downloaded and private correspondence with members of parliament and ministers secretly copied and passed on.” The paper said the arms company made use of a network run by a former consultant for the Ministry of Defence called Evelyn Le Chene. “Le Chene recruited at least half a dozen agents to infiltrate CAAT’s headquarters at Finsbury Park, north London, and a number of regional offices.” They provided BAE with advanced intelligence on CAAT’s campaign against the sale of its Hawk aircraft to the Suharto dictatorship in Indonesia. The arms company also obtained CAAT’s membership list, its bank account details, the identity of its donors, its letters to ministers, even the contents of private diaries belonging to its staff.[10] The paid national events manager for CAAT, a man called Martin Hogbin was later found to be a mole within the CAAT organisation.

rent-a-spies

Saudi Arabia

The Guardian first disclosed in 2003 how the company operated a £20-million slush fund to “entertain” Saudi princes who might favourably influence its chances of winning the “al-Yamamah” deal to buy warships and fighter jets. “Allegations include the provision of prostitutes, sports cars, yachts, first-class plane tickets, Mercedes cars with drivers, unlimited restaurant meals, cup final tickets, club memberships, gambling trips, TV sets and sound systems.” An internal BAE security report referred to allegations of “sex and bondage with Saudi princes”. [11]

bae2 Allegations have surfaced from investigations by the Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight and the Serious Fraud Office, they found that bribes totalling £1bn were paid to the Saudi Prince Bandar by BAE systems in return for the £43bn Al-Yamamah arms deal, in which BAE systems sold Tornado aircraft to Saudi Arabia, also implicated for corruption in parts of the deal were Rolls Royce, Thorn EMI, Mark Thatcher and Jonathan Aitkin as well as the Thatcher government.

In 2006 Tony Blair closed the SFO investigation in the arms deal after lobbying from BAE systems and threats made by the Saudi Government threatening to cancel the new BAE systems Al-Salam Eurofighter deal and ending intelligence sharing. CAAT and The Corner House challenged the closure of the investigation in the High Court and won. The High Court quashed the SFO decision to terminate the investigation. In a strongly worded judgment, the Court described how BAE and the Saudi regime had lobbied Tony Blair and his ministers to have the investigation dropped. The judges went so far as to describe the Saudi threat as a “successful attempt by a foreign government to pervert the course of justice in the United Kingdom”[12]. The decision has since been appealed against in the house of lords by the government and BAE, the Lords decided that the investigation could legally be stopped for reasons of national security but Lady Hale said that ”I confess I would have liked to be able to uphold the decision … of the divisional court. It is extremely distasteful that an independent public official should feel himself obliged to give way to threats of any sort”[13].

The case is still being investigated by the US Department of Justice, FBI and the UK government was recently condemned by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for their failure to tackle bribery looking specifically at the failure to investigate BAE systems.[14]

South Africa

More than £100m was secretly paid by the arms company BAE to sell warplanes to South Africa, according to allegations in a detailed police dossier. The leaked evidence from South African police and the British Serious Fraud Office quotes a BAE agent recommending “financially incentivising” politicians. In the arms deal, the new ANC government in South Africa agreed to spend a controversial £1.6bn buying fleets of Hawk and Gripen warplanes. Critics said the country, beset by unemployment and HIV/Aids, could not afford it. The Hawks, rejected by the military, cost twice as much as Italian equivalents. It is alleged that BAE systems funnelled corrupt payments to Joe Modise, the Defence minister at the time and numerous aides.[15] BAE is accused in the reports of corrupt relationships with an arms tycoon, John Bredenkamp, recently blacklisted in the US for his links with Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. BAE’s former marketing director for southern Africa, Allan McDonald, has been speaking to police, the leaked files say. He allegedly told them Bredenkamp “gave progress reports directly to Mike Turner”. Turner, who has been interviewed under caution by the SFO, stepped down last year as BAE’s chief executive. Bredenkamp-linked companies were paid £40m by BAE to promote the arms deal. [16]

Chile

In September 2005 The Guardian reported that BAE had secretly paid £1 million to General Pinochet in return for help over arms deals. The payments were said to have appeared in US banking records, unearthed by a Chilean judge pursuing Pinochet for tax evasion. They were made between 1997 and 2004. A Serious Fraud Office team is reported to have met the judge in Santiago.[17]

Tanzania

In 2001, Tony Blair overruled Clare Short and Gordon Brown to grant an export licence for BAE’s sale of a military air-traffic control system to one of the world’s poorest countries, Tanzania. The World Bank had pointed out that the contract was ridiculously expensive – Tanzania could have bought a better system elsewhere for a quarter of the price. In January the Guardian revealed that BAE Systems allegedly paid a $12m (£6.2m) “commission” to an agent who brokered the deal.[18]

Qatar

Following the sale of a package of UK arms to Qatar in 1996, BAE reportedly paid a £7m “commission” into three Jersey trust funds under the control of Qatar’s Foreign Minister. A criminal investigation began in Jersey in 2000 but, with Qatari pressure, a jittery UK arms industry and Qatar’s support seen as vital in prosecuting the “war on terror”, the investigation ended in 2002 on “public interest” grounds. The Qatari Foreign Minister denied any wrongdoing but agreed to pay Jersey £6m for “perceived damage”. The investigation was uncovered by the Jersey Evening Post and is still under investigation by the SFO.¹⁷

Romania

In June 2006, with the arrest of a BAE agent, it emerged that the 2003 sale of two ex-Royal Navy frigates to Romania by BAE was under investigation by the SFO and Ministry of Defence Police. Payments of £7 million in “secret commissions” were allegedly made to clinch the £116 million ship refurbishment deal.¹⁷

Czech Republic

In November 2006 the sale of Gripen fighter aircraft to the Czech Republic became linked with an SFO investigation. An initial deal to buy 24 of the aircraft was cancelled because the Czech Government had to deal instead with the devastating floods in 2002. However, two years later, a lease deal for 14 Gripen aircraft was signed. In 2003 The Guardian said that the US had accused BAE of “corrupt practice” following reports from the CIA and rival arms companies and that the Czech police had confirmed bribery attempts by BAE. In February 2007 Swedish broadcaster SVT showed hidden-camera coverage of a former Czech foreign minister admitting that “money changed hands” with politicians over the Gripen deal. That month a senior Swedish prosecutor started an investigation into the contract due to the involvement of Saab, the part-BAE-owned manufacturers of Gripen aircraft. Czech police re-opened their inquiries.¹⁷

stevebell080607

[1] World Rank is from the 2006 top 100 taken from Defense News Top 100 July 2007

[2] CAAT Publications – Arms Fairs, DSEI (2003), http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/armsfairs/dsei-2003-report/baes.php, Accessed 5/11/07

[3] As used on the famous Nelson Mandela, Thomas, 2006, Ebury Press pp212-222

[4] The Guardian, 7/6/2007, David Leigh & Rob Evans, “BAE Systems Profile”, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/jun/07/bae.baesystemsbusiness

[5] CorporateWatch – BAE systems, A corporate Profile 2003, http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=182

[6] CAAT, 6/2005, Harald Molgaard, “Arms exports and collaborations: the UK and Israel”

[7] Danger room, 4/10/07, Sharon Weinberger, “How Israel spoofed syria’s air defense system”, http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/10/how-israel-spoo.html

[8] The Guardian 6/5/2008, David Leigh & Sadie Gray, “BAE paid too little heed to ethics, says report” http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/06/baesystemsbusiness.armstrade

[9] The Guardian 27/2/2007, David Leigh & Rob Evans, “BAE to reveal source of leak on legal advice” http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/feb/27/bae.armstrade

[10] The Times 28/9/2003, “How the woman at No 27 ran spy network for arms firm” http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1163959.ece

[11] The Guardian 11/9/2003, David Leigh & Rob Evans, “BAE accused of arms deal slush fund” http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/sep/11/bae.freedomofinformation

[12] High Court Judgement, http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2008/04/10/judgment_corner_house_100408.pdf

[13] Guardian 31/7/2008 “’He was confronted by an ugly and unwelcome threat’”, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/31/bae.armstrade2

[14] Guardian 17/10/2008, Andrew Sparrow, “Government condemned for failure to tackle bribery”, http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/oct/17/5

[15] Mail and Guardian 12/1/2009, Sam Sole and Nic Dawes, “BAE’s web of influence in South Africa” http://www.mg.co.za/article/2007-01-12-baes-web-of-influence-in-south-africa

[16] The Guardian, 6/12/2008, David Leigh and Rob Evans, “BAE accused of £100 m secret payments in South Africa arms deal” http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/06/bae-arms-trade

[17] A seriously funny attempt to get the Serious Fraud Office in the dock! September 2007, Campaign Against the Arms Trade

[18] The Guardian, 13/2/07, George Monbiot, “The Parallel universe of BAE: covert, dangerous and beyond the rule of law, http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/feb/13/bae.foreignpolicy

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Rolls Royce

November 18, 2008

Rolls Royce will be running a recruitment event this evening at Warwick Campus. Therefore some information that they probably won’t mention is shown here.

17^th Largest Arms Manufacturer in the world. 2^nd Largest UK Arms Company. Approximately $14.2 Billion of Military Sales making up 25% of total sales. Rolls Royce is the 2^nd Largest Manufacturer of Aerospace Engines powering approximately 25% of the world’s military aircraft and has its equipment installed on over 2,200 warships including all of the UK’s nuclear submarines².

The Raynesway plant has numerous safety concerns about the control and techniques for nuclear waste disposal.

Military customers include:

Israel

Indonesia

Turkey

Saudi Arabia

Oman

Bahrain

United Arab Emirates

Brunei

Malaysia

South Korea

Kenya

Zimbabwe

Rolls Royce also sells the jet engines used in the Myanmar national airline, a nationalised operation which helps finance the Burmese Junta.

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November 3, 2008

Arms Companies at the Engineering Fair

There are a number of arms companies attending the “Engineering and Technology Fair” on the 8^th of November. The University careers service recommends that you find out as much about the companies attending as you can, we feel that this is a very reasonable suggestion therefore to help out with information on the arms companies attending the careers fair that the companies and the careers service probably will not include in their recruitment pitch. For this leaflet an arms company has been defined as company who designs or manufactures products specifically for the military application.

BAE systems

3^rd Largest Arms Manufacturer in the World. Largest UK arms Company. £13.7 billion sales, £11.8 billion military sales, 83% military[1]. 6 Ongoing Corruption investigations in the UK (not including the Serious Fraud Office inquiry into the Al Yamamah Saudi deal, stopped by the government). Less than 20% of BAE’s sales are to the UK[2]. In September 2003 The Sunday Times reported that BAE had hired a private security contractor to collate information about individuals working at the Campaign Against Arms Trade and their activities.In February 2007, it again obtained private confidential information from CAAT. In September 2005 The Guardian alleged that banking records showed that BAE paid £1 million to Augusto Pinochet, the former Chilean dictator.

Military customers of note include the UK, US, Israel, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia (Hawk Jets sold during the violent repression of East Timor), India, Pakistan, Tanzania, Lebanon, Poland, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Romania, Chile, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Columbia, Egypt, Ghana, Afghanistan, Brazil, Columbia, Qatar, Algeria (via Qatar)[4], Malaysia, Kenya, Czech Republic, Sweden, Morocco (including attempting to secure a deal in the conflict area of Western Sahara), Greece, Germany, Italy, Austria, Australia, Finland, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Nepal, Uruguay, Vietnam,

Park Air Systems (Northrop Grumman)

4^th Largest Arms Manufacturer in the World¹. Total sales for 2006 US$30.1 billion, 90% military sales[5]. A 1999 lawsuit accuses Northrop of knowingly giving the Navy defective drones from 1988 to 1998 and seeks $210 million in damages. A 1992 case filed in Illinois questions how Northrop accounted for “scrap” parts, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. That suit seeks $113 million in damages. Deputy Secretary of Defence Paul Wolfowitz, Vice-Presidential Chief of Staff I. Lewis Libby, Pentagon Comptroller Dov Zakheim, and Sean O’Keefe, director of NASA all former Northrop officials, consultants, or shareholders currently holding positions in the Bush administration[6]. Also Northrop recently lost a previously acquired $35bn refuelling tanker contract with the US Air Force after complaints of illegal bidding practices[7].

Products include: Advanced Radar Systems, Missile Defence Systems, High-Energy Laser Systems, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Ship Systems, Mission Systems. Specific work include: managing, operating and providing infrastructure support for the Nevada nuclear testing site, B2 Stealth Bomber, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, Kinetic Energy inceptor missile shields, Military Satellites, Global Hawk unmanned aircraft, Fire scout unmanned attack helicopter, F-5 Freedom Fighter, T-38 Talon, 25% of the Parts for the F-35 Lightning, Zumwalt class destroyer, Nimitz class aircraft carrier, Virginia class attack submarine, Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier, Aegis Class guided missile destroyer, numerous amphibious assault vessels, Night Vision Goggles[8], Northrop’s subsidiary Vinnell Corporation was replaced after failing to fulfil its $48 million contract to train the Iraqi Army.

Thales

11^th Largest Arms Manufacturers in the World, second largest UK Arms Company. Approximately $7 million in military sales, 50% of business is Military.[9]

Thales is prime contractor for the Sawari 2 programme, which involves supplying three frigates to Saudi Arabia equipped with the Arabel multi-function anti-air fire control radar and Aster missile system.[11] In Indonesia and Japan Thales has won contracts for maritime patrol systems. Thales is prime contractor for electronic warfare systems for naval vessels and was selected by Brunei for its Waspada ships and by the UK for “Type 45” destroyers.[12] Shorts Missile Systems, which is now owned by Thales, has delivered over 60,000 missiles to 56 armed forces worldwide[13].[14] Thales is also implicated (as well as EADS) in selling the “Advanced Light Helicopter” to Burma (via India)¹³ and licensed production of night-vision equipment to China (despite an EU embargo), Thales has also allegedly sold arms to Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Columbia.

QinetiQ

27^th Largest arms manufacturer in the world, 3^rd Largest UK arms company. £1 billion arms sales per year, 83% Military sales.

Products include: Combat Vehicle Systems (vehicle sensors, displays, power systems), Ballistic missile defence systems (navigation, guidance, detection systems), aircraft maintenance & repair, pilot Equipment (Helmets), Missile Systems, Close Combat Systems (small arms, cannons, infantry systems), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Communication Systems, Surveillance Systems[15]

Military sales include the US, UK, Israel (Joint Strike Fighter), Turkey, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands and the Philippines.[16]

AWE

MBDA

Part of 8^th Largest Arms Manufacturer in the World (owned by EADS, BAE and Marconi), 100% Military, Largest manufacturers of guided missiles in the world. Products include Air to air, Surface to air, Air to surface, Anti-ship and Anti-Tank missile. MBDA missiles are also manufactured to carry nuclear warheads.

MBDA boasts over 70 customers worldwide including the US, UK, Israel, Saudi Arabia, China, Chile, Indonesia, Iran, Syria, Libya, Lebanon, Pakistan, India, Morocco, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Iraq (to Saddam), Kuwait, Libya, Venezuela, Ecuador, Singapore, Columbia, South Africa, France, Germany, Italy, Qatar, Zambia, Oman, Turkey, South Korea, Poland.

DSTL

DSTL is owned and operated by the Ministry of Defence; it is a hugely secretive organisation that works on high tech military products.

Airbus

Airbus is a subsidiary of EADS, the 7^th largest arms company worldwide. Airbus also manufactures military products itself, mainly transport and refuelling aircraft.

Products include the A400M tactical transport aircraft, the Multi-Role Tanker Transport and the KC-45 refuelling aircraft.

Customers include the US, United Arab Emirate, Turkey, UK, Spain, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium.

Jaguar Land-Rover

Land Rover’s Defender 4×4 is used for both civilian and military purposes around the world. Land Rover claims to have 70,000 of its vehicles in use around the world[18]. Land Rovers can be found with the militaries and security forces in Zimbabwe, Sudan[19], Israel and UK.

Detica

Atkins

£100m in yearly revenues from military contracts. Atkins provides consultancy services to private arms companies and the MoD. Atkins’ projects include the Rolls Royce made Nuclear reactors for submarines, “Type 45 Destroyer” warships made by BAE systems, military aircraft with QinetiQ and Boeing and armoured vehicles made working with DSTL. The Type 45 Destroyer is sold to Saudi Arabia.[21]

Amec

Tessella

Tessella’s clients include BAE systems, EADS, AWE, British Nuclear Group, Lockheed Martin, MOD, Thales and various Oil companies including Total (Currently Operating in Burma).

IPL

Infosys

Infosys provides consultancy on manufacturing, design and information technology areas of the defence industry.

Special Metals Wiggin

Lloyd’s Register

Lloyds Register provides management and technical consultancy services to navies around the world, Lloyds register also consults on defence procurement[23]. Lloyds Register has provided consultancy for arms companies such as Thales[24]. Lloyds Register provides maintenance services for marine vessels including military craft as well as advising on technical design issues.

Morgan Professional Services

Morgan Professional Services provides design, engineering and project management services. Projects include a floating submarine jetty for the MOD at Faslane nuclear submarine base and home of the UK’s nuclear arms.

For more information see weaponsoutofwarwick.wordpress.com

Or the facebook group Weapons out of Warwick

Please recycle this leaflet

[1] World Rank is from the 2006 top 100 taken from Defense News Top 100 July 2007

[2] CAAT Publications – Arms Fairs, DSEI (2003), http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/armsfairs/dsei-2003-report/baes.php, Accessed 5/11/07

[3] As used on the famous Nelson Mandela, Thomas, 2006, Ebury Press pp212-222

[4] CorporateWatch – BAE systems, A corporate Profile 2003, http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=182

[5] Publications – Northrop Grumman, http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/northrop.php, Accessed 1/11/08

[6] Corpwatch: Northrop Gumman, http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?list=type&type=11 accessed 1/11/08

[7] The Times 11/9/08

[8] Northrop Grumman capabilities brochure

[9] CAAT Publications – Thales, http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/thales.php , Accessed 7/10/07

[10] www.thalesgroup.com/ga/business_zone/defence/home.htm , Accessed 24/8/03

[11] http://www.thalesgroup.com/ga/business_zone/defence/naval.htm, accessed 24/08/03

[12] http://www.thalesgroup.com/ga/business_zone/defence/airborne.htm, accessed 24/08/03

[13] http://www.thalesgroup.co.uk/ga/business_zone/defence/AirDefence.htm, accessed 13/08/03

[14] http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/thales2003.php, accessed 7/10/07

[15] CAAT Publications – QinetiQ, http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/qinetiq.php , Accessed 5/11/07

[16] QinetiQ Annual report 2007, http://www.investis.com/reports/qntq_ar_2007_en/report.php? , Accessed 5/11/07

[17] Time for a real review of defence spending, Robert Fox, Guardian Comment is free, 4/9/08

[18] Army Technology Website – Land Rover http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/vehicles/ landrover/accesssed 1/10/08

[19] “British firm breaks Sudan arms boycott” Jon Swain & Brian Johnson Thomas Sunday Times, 22/4/2007

[20] Financial Times 29/7/08

[21] “UK seek £2bn Saudi destroyer contract”, Michael Harrison, The Independent, Published 9/3/2007, http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2341426.ece , Accessed 14/10/07

[22] CAAT Publications –EADS, http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/eads.php , Accessed 14/10/07

[23] Lloyds Register Website – “Sectors We Serve – Defence”, http://www.lr.org/Industries/Defence, Accessed 5/11/07

[24] LRQA Website – Case Studies, Thales, http://www.lr.org/Industries/LRQA/Case+studies/Thales.htm, Accessed 5/11/07

1 Comment | Arms Trade, Warwick University | Permalink
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Arms Companies at Warwick 6/10/08

October 6, 2008

Arms Companies at Warwick

There are a number of arms companies attending the “Graduate Recruitment Fair” on the 6^th and 7^th of October. The University careers service recommends that you find out as much about the companies attending as you can, we feel that this is a very reasonable suggestion. We feel that arms companies do not provide a full account of their activities and therefore this leaflet is intended to help you know the facts the arms companies attending probably will not include in their recruitment pitch. Although the members of the Weapons out of Warwick campaign have strong opinions about the negative impact of these companies in the world, we acknowledge that not every student agrees with us, we feel that students whatever they’re opinion should be aware of the issues surrounding the arms trade and the companies who visit our campus.

Rolls Royce

Products

Who they sell to

EADS Defence and Security Systems Limited

8^th Largest Arms Manufacturer in the World, Approximately $16 Billion of military sales in 2006[4], 20% of business is military.

Products

EADS products include fighter and transport aircraft, helicopters and missiles. They also manufacture Nuclear Missile launch systems, Cruise Missiles, Ballistic Defence Missiles (Controversially being used in the “Missile Shield” by the US and NATO), Eurofighter and Tiger Attack Helicopters.

Countries Sold To

General Electric (GE)

28^th Largest Arms Manufacturer in the world. Revenue for the Industrial division of GE is $13.8 Billion[7]. One of the world’s top 3 Jet Manufacturers

Products

GE specialises in engines and component for aircraft, Helicopters tanks and small marine vessels. GE engines can be found in the C5, Air Force One, F-14, F-15, F-16, Stealth Bomber (B-2), U-2, Joint Strike Fighter, Stealth Fighter (F-117), India LCA, X-45B (unmanned attack aircraft), F/A-18 Super Hornet, J79, M1 Abrams Tank, AH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter, A-10 Thunderbolt and others[8]. GE claims that their engines are found in over 55 Countries. GE also sells component for submarines and warships including the US and UK nuclear submarines. GE has also designed more than 90 nuclear facilities and was involved in testing the effects of radiation on humans.

Who they sell to

GE supplies US, UK, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt, Thailand and many others.

Cummins

Cummins military Products are used in the militaries of the US, Israel[10], China, Sudan[11], UK, Czech Republic, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, France, Austria and Poland.

Land Rover

Land Rover’s Defender 4×4 is used for both civilian and military purposes around the world. Land Rover claims to have 70,000 of its vehicles in use around the world[12]. Land Rovers can be found with the militaries and security forces in Zimbabwe, Sudan[13], Israel and UK.

Unipart

Unipart is an established supplier of services to the UK Defence sector, offering supply chain capabilities and experience of continuous improvement and lean operations.

Unipart’s military products include Future Integrated Soldier Technolgy (FIST): “The FIST system will provide the soldier with improved situational awareness, lethality and survivability.”[14] Battlegroup Thermal Imaging (BGTI) is a programme collaborating with Thales (11^th largest arms company globally[15]) to fit thermal imaging (TI) sights to Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFV) and CVR(T) Scimitar Close Reconnaissance variants.

To find out more about the Weapons out of Warwick Campaign see weaponsoutwarwick.wordpress.com

[1] CAAT Publications – Rolls Royce, http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/rolls-royce2003.php , Accessed 7/10/07

[2] Rolls Royce Annual Report 2006, http://www.rolls-royce.com/investors/reports/2006/pdfs/rrar_2006.pdf , accessed 7/10/07

[3] “A basic summary of what we know about Rolls Royce Raynesway (RRR) and Rolls Royce (RR) as a company” handout.

[4] EADS Annual Review, http://www.eads.com/xml/content/OF00000000400004/5/07/41590075.pdf, Accessed 7/10/07

[5] CAAT Publications – EADS, http://www.caat.org.uk/publications/companies/eads2003.php , Accessed 7/10/07

[6] “Indian helicopters for Myanmar: making a mockery of the EU arms embargo?”, Amnesty International Report, http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA200142007?open&of=ENG-2AS , Accessed 7/10/07

[7] GE Annual Report 2006, Financial Statement, Segment Operations, Industrial Segment, http://www.ge.com/ar2006/mda_segop_ind.htm , accessed 7/10/07

[8] GE Military Engines http://www.geaviation.com/engines/military/index.html, accessed 7/10/07

[9] World Defence Systems Website- Company Profiles – Cummins http://www.sovereign-publications.com/cummins.htm accessed 30/9/08

[10] Defense update online defense magazine http://www.defense-update.com/newscast/0608/news/news1706_euro_xtream.htm accessed 30/9/08

[11] Amnesty International Annual Report 2006

[12] Army Technology Website – Land Rover http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/vehicles/ landrover/accesssed 1/10/08

[13] “British firm breaks Sudan arms boycott” Jon Swain & Brian Johnson Thomas Sunday Times, 22/4/2007

[14] Unipart Defence Website http://www.udefence.com/cms/udalweb.nsf/vCategory/7B3DAAF53D89EDDF802571FD00511574?OpenDocument accessed 29/9/08

[15] World Rank is from the 2006 top 100 taken from Defense News Top 100 July 2007

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Posted by barnabyp

The Arguments of the Arms Trade

October 6, 2008

The very first thing to remember about the arms trade is that they make things for the purpose of killing, maiming and incapacitating other human beings. All the people that design, manufacture or assemble these weapons have in some way contributed to the death of the person on the opposite side of that weapon.

Arms companies are treated as being above the law, one of the best recent examples of this was the government terminating the Serious Fraud Office inquiry in December 2006 that was looking into corruption allegations against BAE Systems’ dealings in Saudi Arabia, by shutting down the SFO inquiry the government is in breach of the OECD agreements on tackling corruption that the UK is a signatory of. The government has set forward the classic three arguments for the arms trade. Those three arguments are; National security and defence needs, the economy and “If we didn’t do it somebody else would”.

National security was quoted as a major reason for ending the BAE system’s- Saudi Arabia SFO inquiry, the government contended that Saudi Arabia was a valuable ally in the “War on Terror” and threatened to stop sharing intelligence should the SFO inquiry be allowed to continue. However the Saudi Intelligence service is at best weak and at worst a bunch of torturers who the UK intelligence services should not cooperate with on principle. The more general case for the national security or “Defence” argument is that the world is a violent place and we need weapons in order to protect ourselves and our allies. Unfortunately “Our boys” do not receive adequate equipment, an MoD internal survey found that “nearly half our soldiers in Iraq had no confidence in their fighting kit”² and there is a mountain of anecdotal evidence on UK military equipment to support this. The MoD is pressured into buying equipment from UK firms in order to persuade foreign buyers to buy the same equipment; this means that the UK taxpayer is paying more than they should for equipment that is not ideal costing the lives of soldiers and civilians in conflicts. Arms exports are put ahead of UK interests when it comes to the arms industry. BAE systems (strictly speaking a global company, not British except when it suits them) recently agreed to a new contract known as Salam (roughly translates as peace, BAE lack a sense of irony) with Saudi Arabia selling Eurofighter jets, the first 24 of these jets were intended to go to the RAF but instead are being shipped to Saudi Arabia³.

The argument of the economy and jobs is one favoured particularly by MPs saying that stopping the arms trade would cause terrible unemployment and damage the national economy, however some statistics need to be considered. Arms exports are subsidised by the government by around £900 million per year. According to the MoD 65,000 jobs are sustained by military exports (approximate 0.2% of the UK workforce), with a bit of simple maths this tells us that each arms export job is subsidised by the UK taxpayer to the tune of £13,000 every year. The MoD estimated that halving the number of military exports over a two year period would lead to a loss of almost 49,000 jobs however within five years 67,400 jobs would be created in non-military sectors and in fact between 1995 and 2002 the number of jobs estimated to be reliant on military exports fell from 145,000 to 65,000 with no major effect on the economy¹. The fact is that the majority of employees working in the arms industry are highly skilled and could be of incredible value in a worthwhile industry instead of one dedicated to destruction.

“If we didn’t do it somebody else would” is often used by arms dealers as a justification for their activities whether legal or illegal, however this argument is fundamentally flawed, you could not use in any other context and expect anybody to agree with you. Were anybody to argue in court that they had to commit a crime because if they did not do it then somebody else would then they would be reprimanded for wasting the court’s time, just because somebody else is willing to do something morally wrong, it does make it right for you to do it.

Only through understanding the reasons that are put across by the arms industry can the debate be won and these companies whose purpose is to cause destruction can be defeated.

By Barnaby Pace

———————————————

¹ Jobs and Subsidies, Campaign Against Arms Trade, http://www.caat.org.uk/issues/jobs-subsidies.php, Accessed 25/10/07

² House of Commons Debate, Colin Breed, South East Cornwall, Liberal Democrat, 20/01/2005 Column 999, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmhansrd/vo050120/debtext/50120-18.htm#50120-18_spnew4, Accessed 25/10/07

³ “BAE is poised for £5bn Saudi Eurofighter contract”, David Robertson, The Times, 14/6/2006, http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article608183.ece, Accessed 25/10/07

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[35] “British firm breaks Sudan arms boycott” Jon Swain & Brian Johnson Thomas Sunday Times, 22/4/2007

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The Arguments of the Arms Trade

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