Non-Subscriber Extract
UK rules out imminent revision of Defence Industrial Strategy
By Keri Wagstaff-Smith
03 July 2009
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) currently has no plans to produce a revised version of the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS II), although a government source conceded it would be "eminently sensible" for former defence procurement minister Lord Drayson to take on such a project following his arrival back in government.
A government figure, speaking to Jane's on 2 July, said "industry does not want a DIS II at this stage": a view described as "wide of the mark" by a number of leading executives.
One UK industry figure who spoke to Jane's said: "What industry wants is clarity. If it's bad news, tell us, so we can arrange financing and manage our resources, recruitment, skills and capability."
On 6 March this year, however, the UK Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) stated that the "defence industry does want DIS version II - but [the] time is not right given funding problems" and that industry reluctantly recognises that an updated strategy will have to be delayed still further.
The industry figure described the DIS I White Paper, released in December 2005, as "great" but added: "The thing is, it wasn't always stuck to."