Arms export licences
July-September 2011
The UK Government has released data on the arms export licences it had granted between July and September 2011. The full data (go to "Published Reports") is available on the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills website.
Early in 2011, public scrutiny of the UK's arms sales to Libya, Bahrain and other repressive regimes had forced the government to revoke more than 150 export licences. The latest arms export figures make it clear that the government's withdrawals of arms licences were just for the cameras.
Although Bahrain and Egypt continued their violent crackdowns on protest, the UK resumed arms sales within a few weeks, and by the third quarter of 2011 it was back to business as usual. Even though Saudi Arabia has an an appalling human rights record of its own and has intervened militarily in Bahrain with scores of UK-manufactured armoured vehicles, it didn't even see a dip in arms licences.
Selected arms export licences granted by the UK government from July-September 2011 include:
Bahrain
The UK licensed military list and dual-use equipment for export to the value of £2,211,229, of which over half - £1,348,042 - was on the military list.
Military list items included:
- artillery
- gun silencers
- naval guns
- weapons sights
Egypt
The UK licensed military list and dual-use equipment for export to the value of £1,597,875, of which £1,042,306 was on the military list.
The military list items were:
- components for military combat vehicles
- components for military radars
- components for weapons control equipment
- military communications equipment
- rangefinding equipment
- weapon night sights (temporary)
- weapons sights (temporary)
(Temporary licences are often for demonstration purposes.)
Saudi Arabia
The UK licensed military list and dual-use equipment for export to the value of £8,892,982, of which £4,524,256 was on the military list.
Military list items included:
- components for combat aircraft
- components for machine guns
- components for military aero-engines
- components for military combat vehicles
- components for military communications equipment (2 licences)
- components for military guidance/navigation equipment
- components for military support aircraft (10 licences)
- components for turrets
- general military aircraft components
- gun silencers
- military cameras/photographic equipment
- military helmets
- technology for air-to-surface missiles
- technology for military image recording/processing equipment
Nigeria
The UK licensed military list and dual use equipment for export to the value of £12,781,458, of which £2,106,326 was for equipment on the military list.
The military list items were:
- all-wheel drive vehicles with ballistic protection
- assault rifles (60)
- body armour
- components for military support aircraft
- general naval vessel components
- military support vehicles (3 licences)
- pistols (40)
- small arms ammunition
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