U.K. Defense Ministry to industry: Focus on exports

LONDON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- British Ministry of Defence head Michael Fallon is pushing defense companies in the country direct their focus to exports.

The United Kingdom is already the 6th largest arms exporting country in the world, trailing right behind Germany, and just ahead of Israel. British defense and security exports grossed over $18.5 billion in 2014. Secretary Fallon, however, wants his country to be even more competitive in the global marketplace.

"As a government, boosting our export success in what is an increasingly competitive marketplace has to now be the priority," Secretary Fallon said at the Defence Security International Exhibition, a prestigious annual conference in London.

Secretary Fallon is promising to make U.K. defense companies more attractive vendors around the world, and says he will promote their products, including the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet and "complex weapons" projects.

The Eurofighter Typhoon fighter was formed in 1986 as a collaborative effort between three European arms developers -- including London-based BAE Systems. Various political issues including the end of the Cold War halted demand for the fighter jet, however production continued. Aviation experts compare the jet to the U.S. Air Force's F-22 Raptor, developed by Lockheed Martin, and the French-made Dassault Rafale. The Typhoon experienced a number of failed bids since production began, in many cases due to governments choosing to purchase the Dassault Rafale or more recently, the Lockheed Martin F-35.

Secretary Fallon says the added emphasis on arms exports will be a boon to the U.K. economy, creating jobs and benefiting the country's industrial sector.