The UK has set a record for arms export sales for the entire time such statistics have been kept for over 40 years, since 1983. In 2025, the mark of over £20bn (about $27bn) was reached.
This achievement was noted by the country's Ministry of Defence, which noted that such arms exports secure over 25,000 jobs for decades.
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2025 was the UK’s biggest defence export year in over 40 years, with more to come in 2026. £20 billion in exports means 25,000+ jobs secured for decades 430+ British businesses backed in the supply chain Stronger partnerships with allies Read more … pic.twitter.com/j0CyMDLws4
— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) December 26, 2025
On the part of Defense Express, we would like to note that we are not talking about direct receipts of money to the budget, but about concluding agreements for the corresponding amount. At the same time, only two deals played the main role, accounting for 90% of the total amount.
In particular, in September 2025, the UK signed a 10 billion pound (about $13.5 billion) deal with Norway for at least five Type 26 frigates by BAE Systems, which are to replace the Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates. Norway is expected to receive the first frigate in the series in 2029.
The second largest contract is the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet contract for Turkey, which was signed in October of this year. At the same time, the British Ministry of Defense again manipulated the figures a little in its statistics, as it indicated that this contract will bring "£8 billion boost" to the British economy.
But it is already known that the real price of the contract, which will be executed by BAE Systems, is 5.4 billion pounds ($7.2 billion). Moreover, the fighters themselves cost 4.6 billion pounds ($6.13 billion), and another 800 million pounds ($1 billion) will go into service. We should add that the supply of new fighters to Turkey should begin in 2030.
It is also indicated about another aviation contract with Turkey, for the export of 12 C-130 transport aircraft for a total cost of more than 550 million pounds (about 742 million dollars). The amount of the contract for the export of 18 Jackal 3 light vehicles to the Czech Republic was not indicated in the official announcement, but it is known that the contract for September set the cost at about 44 million dollars.
At the same time, in the coming years, London expects to conclude export contracts for an even larger amount, in particular through cooperation within the AUKUS alliance (Australia, Great Britain and the United States), within which Canberra is expected to purchase SSN-AUKUS nuclear attack submarines.
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