An investigation into UK arms exports to Bangladesh finds no conclusive evidence that British equipment was used during the country's deadly 2024 uprising, but identifies troubling questions over helicopter components, unlimited-value licences, and the UK's continued support for a government it had publicly criticised on human rights grounds.
A decade of Ministry of Defence transparency data reveals growing ties between senior officials and the defence industry, rising overseas spending and persistent gaps in disclosure that continue to obscure how public money, influence and national security decisions intersect.
UK cuts to conflict monitoring capacity risk undermining lawful arms export decisions at a time when evidence points to systemic failures of accountability in Gaza.
As the only Tier 1 partner in the global F-35 programme, the United Kingdom plays a deeply embedded role across manufacturing, weapons integration, engines, avionics, sustainment and export logistics, generating billions in contracts while raising mounting questions about accountability, export controls and complicity in overseas conflicts.
This document charts how Britain continued to license and facilitate arms exports to Israel, including through the F-35 supply chain, even as courts, UN bodies and major human-rights groups warned of grave breaches and pointed to senior Israeli leaders’ rhetoric as evidence of genocidal intent.
Drawing on first-hand testimony from asylum seekers fleeing Ethiopia, Sudan and Afghanistan, this report examines how armed violence and international arms transfers, including UK exports, intersect with displacement, small boat crossings and the lived realities of Britain’s asylum system.
Britain’s decision to lift its arms embargo on Armenia and Azerbaijan trades moral caution for strategic ambition, risking complicity in a fragile peace built on unequal power.
The UK’s retreat from aid and surge in defence spending marks a historic reversal, with funds once tied to humanitarian relief now redirected towards military ends, arguably leaves fragile states, particularly in Africa, exposed to deeper instability and preventable loss of life.
A UN inquiry has found Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, leaving the UK at risk of complicity through its arms sales, military support, and intelligence sharing.
Peter Kyle’s appointment as Secretary of State for Business and Trade places a long-time ally of Israel in charge of Britain’s arms exports at a time of mounting concern over weapons sales to Gaza.
AOAV applauds Scotland’s decision to pause public funding for arms firms supplying Israel, a vital step in aligning economic policy with humanitarian principle amid evidence of genocide in Gaza.
Britain’s decision to bar Israeli officials from its flagship arms fair is a welcome step towards holding states accountable for violations of international humanitarian law.