Arms Industry

This is a list of companies that are part of the arms industry in and around Nottinghamshire.

Not all of these companies make weapons systems, but their products and services contribute to or support the offensive capability of the armed forces of Britain and other countries around the world.

All of these companies have marketed their products and services to the “defence” industry. They all boast about their military contracts and advertise the military applications of their products and services on their websites, and most have listed themselves in the British Defence Industry Directory (). Some are also paid up members of the Defence Manfacturers Association () or have exhibited their wares at DSEi (), the world’s largest arms fair.

Many of these companies produce components, which by themselves are not harmful, but these components are specifically designed to be part of weapons systems, warships, warplanes, etc, and as such these companies and their employees are profiting from unjust wars, and are complicit in any war crimes that these weapons systems are used to commit.

Abbott & Co

Abbott makes pressurised vessels, which it supplies to arms companies including BAE Systems and QinetiQ, for use in warships and naval facilities. The company is based at Newark Boiler Works, Northern Rd, Newark NG24 2EJ.

Aireshelta

Aireshelta makes camoflage inflatable shelters for the MoD. As well as being used for combat operations overseas, these shelters are used for Army recruiting events in the UK. The company is based at Station Yard, Station Rd, Langley Mill, Nottingham NG16 4BQ.

Boneham & Turner

This company supplies precision-engineered components to various arms-manufacturing corporations including BAE Systems, GKN and Rolls Royce. It is based at Oddicroft Lane, Sutton-in-Ashfield NG17 5FS.

Certex

Certex UK’s Defence Division supplies lifting equipment and navigation equipment to the Royal Navy. This equipment is used to ready warships for battle. The company is based at Blyth Rd Harworth, Doncaster DN11 8NE.

Chemring Defence

Chemring Defence makes CS gas cartridges, stun grenades and explosives. It and its parent company Chemring Group have marketed its wares to repressive regimes at numerous arms fairs including LAVEX in Libya and IDEX in United Arab Emirates.  The company is tucked away in the countryside at Wilne Mill, Draycott, Derby DE72 3QJ.

Cinch Connectors

Cinch makes electonic connectors for various applications including missiles and military aircraft. Cinch components are used in F-15 fighter jets, which were used by the Israeli Air Force in the December 2008 bombardment of Gaza that killed hundreds of civilians. Saudi Arabian F-15s have been seen bombing civilian areas in northern Yemen. Cinch is based at Shireoaks Rd, Worksop S80 3HA.

Easy Tiger International Ltd

Trading under the name Global Sourcing & Supply, this very small company buys consignments of cheap small arms such as AK-47 assault rifles from Europe and Asia, and then sells them on the international market. In 2008, the Managing Director was involved in illegally importing Chinese AK-47 magazines into the US. ETI’s registered business address is 10 Kingston Drive, Cotgrave, Nottingham NG12 3LL.

EMICS

EMICS is a provider of calibration services – accurate measurements of physical systems. EMICS provides quality assurance to the arms company QinetiQ to facilitate the development of military hardware. EMICS is based at Unit 2, 248 Radford Blvd, Nottingham NG7 5QG.

Ergo Computing

Ergo provides military-grade laptops and computer-based training to the British armed forces. The company is based at Mere Way, Ruddington Fields Business Park, Ruddington, Nottingham NG11 6JS.

Flowserve

The Flowserve corporation makes pumps and valves. While most of their products are for civil engineering, they also specialise in valves and pumps for warships and submarines, and they install automated fuel pumps for US military bases. The company is based on Hawton Lane, New Balderton, Newark NG24 3BU.

Glenair UK

Glenair supplies various types of connectors for use in military aircraft, including the F-16 fighter jet. In Israel’s 2008-2009 assault on Gaza, F-16s targeted hospitals, schools, mosques and UN facilities, killing hundreds of civilians. The anti-poverty charity War On Want claims that the UK is complicit in war crimes “for licensing arms sales to Israel such as key components for F-16 fighter jets, used to bomb Gaza”. The company is based at 40 Lower Oakham Way, Mansfield NG18 5BY.

Heckler & Koch

H&K is one of the world’s largest producers of small arms including assault rifles, submachine guns and grenade launchers. The company has a history of evading arms embargoes in order to supply weapons to repressive regimes and conflict zones. Millions of H&K guns are in use in over 90 countries, and have caused an estimated 1.5 million deaths. H&K’s international sales office is based at Unit 3, Easter Park, Lenton Lane, Nottingham NG7 2PX.

Host Systems

Host Systems makes mobile military air traffic control towers, which according to the company’s website “enable today’s battlespace commanders to have rapidly deployed Air Traffic Control capability almost anywhere.” They are currently in use at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. The company is based at Orchard House, Main Rd, Long Bennington, Newark NG23 5EA.

Icon Polymer

According to Icon, “almost all aerospace and defence systems depend on elastomers to operate efficiently.” Icon supplies parts made from these rubber compounds for use in military aircraft, fighting vehicles and warships. This company’s products are used in military vehicles made by ST Kinetics and BAE Systems, both of which have been involved in corruption scandals. Icon is based at Thrumpton Lane, Retford DN22 6HH.

Imer Reman

Imer supplies the MoD with replacement components for military vehicles. The company is based at Unit 1, Whitewater Place, Maun Way, Boughton, Newark NG22 9ZD.

Infrared Security Solutions

ISS makes weapons sights and surveillance equipment which has been deployed in Afghanistan and sold to the armed forces of Malaysia and Singapore. The factory’s address is Glaisdale Drive East, Nottingham NG8 4GU.

J Lawson Modelmakers

Lawson makes accurate scale models of military hardware and facilities. Arms companies use these models to prototype and market weapons systems. They were used to advertise various weapons at the DSEi 2009 arms fair, including a chain gun, a torpedo and a land assault vehicle. The company is based at Mushroom Farm, Lamins Lane, Bestwood Village, Nottingham NG6 8WS.

Losberger

Losberger makes tents and temporary buildings. Its military division, Losberger Rapid Deployment Systems, supplies armies with inflatable tents to be used as military command posts. The company’s UK office is at 139 High St, Collingham, Newark NG23 7NH.

Mitchell Powersystems

Mitchell supplies and services diesel engines for various applications including military vehicles. The company is the UK distributor for Steyr Motors, which are used in military vehicles made by BAE Systems, Russia and China. In 2001 Steyr supplied vehicles to the Zimbabwe Army in violation of an EU embargo. Mitchell Powersystems is based at Fulwood Rd South, Sutton-in-Ashfield NG17 2JZ.

Nexor

Nexor provides systems to manage sensitive information such as military intelligence and communications. Its customers include NATO, the armed forces and intelligence agencies of the US and UK, and various multinational arms companies including BAE Systems, EADS and QinetiQ. The company is based at Bell House, Nottingham Science & Technology Park, Nottingham NG7 2RL.

North Midland Construction

North Midland Building, a subsidiary of NM Construction, builds airfields for the RAF. Their head office is at Nunn Close, Huthwaite, Sutton-in-Ashfield NG17 2HW.

PS Marsden

PS Marsden produces precision-engineered metal components for the MoD, and for arms companies such as Heckler & Koch and BAE Systems and military aircraft engine manufacturers such as Rolls Royce and ITP Engines. The company is based at Private Rd 8, Colwick Industrial Estate, Nottingham NG4 2JX.

Rolls Royce Marine Power Operations

This subsidiary of Rolls Royce makes the nuclear fuel for Trident submarines, which are armed with nuclear missiles. It also develops nuclear reactors to power warships and submarines. There are two nuclear-licensed facilities on Raynesway, Derby DE21. There is a campaign against this work, called Power Through Wind Not Weapons.

SPG Media

SPG Media Group provides market information for various industries including the global arms trade, via its websites army-technology.com, naval-technology.com, airforce-technology.com and aerospace-technology.com. These websites provide international directories of arms manufacturers offering products such as machine guns, missiles and targeting systems. The company has an office at 49 Stoney St, Nottingham NG1 1LX.

SPS Aerostructures

Military jets and helicopters made by major arms manufacturers including BAE Systems, AgustaWestland and Rolls Royce use components manufactured by SPS Aerostructures. Apache helicopters used to attack the Gaza Strip contain parts made by SPS. The helicopter that strafed journalists and children in Wikileaks’ Collateral Murder video was an Apache. Apaches are also used by Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The Fabrication Division is based at Unit 21a Willow Drive, Annesley, Nottingham NG15 0DP and the Machining Division is based at Crown Farm Way, Forest Town, Mansfield NG19 0FT.

Television Installation Services

TIS provides communication and surveillance systems such as intercoms and CCTV for the warships of the Royal Navy and other navies around the world. The company is based at Hamilton Way, Mansfield NG18 5BU.

If you have any further information about these companies or about any other arms companies in the Nottinghamshire area, please contact Notts Anti-Militarism. Of particular interest is information about sales to dodgy customers, or about a company’s products being used to commit acts of aggression.