The United Kingdom, which deepened its geographical divide with the European Union with a political divide following BREXIT, attended the first DSEI amid the aftershocks of this radical decision. Is the “Empire on which the sun never sets” looming into darkness with respect to defence industry? Only time will tell.
More than a year has passed since the BREXIT referendum, and yet the international public opinion still insists on attributing all things positive and negative that befalls on the UK to this decision about leaving the European Union. On the other hand, it is without doubt that this assumption paves the way for more rational observations. Nevertheless, BREXIT’s impact on the United Kingdom has been a source of concern for the defence industry, which is definitely influenced by balances in economy and many other areas. It is not clear whether the low level of participation at DSEI 2017 as compared to other international defence exhibitions signified a reaction or not. However, when focusing on non-participants like Airbus, which stands for the defence fortress of Continental Europe, it is possible to move beyond simple deductions.
At a time when global arms race accelerated and markets were rejuvenated thanks to increased requirements with regard to modernisation and improvement of veteran systems, it is out of question for the UK to remain idle. However, looking at the general picture at DSEI, areas of interest were concentrated mostly on land systems and joint aerospace projects.
