Defence exports fell in 2015 despite global growth

British defence exports fell by 9.4% in 2015, according to figures released by the UK government’s Defence and Security Organisation (DSO) on 26 July. It called its £7.7bn ($10.1bn) new business a “considerable achievement”, given the lack of ‘platform sales’ – the largest of which was the sale of 22 BAE Systems Hawk jet trainers to Saudi Arabia. Also positive was an increase in the overall value of UK security exports in 2015, which rose to £4bn from £3.4bn in 2014.