Dismay as UK delays deter vital deals over weapons

decade.

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But the delay in outlining how this transformation will be funded has seen manufacturers focus their efforts on other nations where orders are more forthcoming as much of Europe rapidly scales up its procurement of vital equipment such as drones.One founder of a medium drone enterprise, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect commercial relationships, told the Sunday Express: "When we started, the UK was one of our two prime target markets.

“After two decades in the sector it became apparent we'd overestimated the appetite in Britain. The impact is that we’re now focused on other markets, particularly Scandinavia and Germany, and they will be our priority over the coming years. I am not alone in saying this.”

The boss of another firm, founded in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said: “We have seen interest from the UK but it’s not concrete, it feels like there’s a reluctance to commit in a way that allows us to produce in the thousands.”

The UK’s national armaments director, Rupert Pearce, apologised to MPs last week for having told them in December that the DIP would be ready in a matter of “days now, not weeks or months”.