The Aerospace and Defence sector has experienced a welcome return to growth in recent years. This has been driven by the recovery of the global commercial aircraft segment as well as increased defence spending, in everything from traditional base forces through to cyber defences.

The key challenges facing the industry vary enormously from one sub-sector to the next. In civil aerospace, there is continued pressure from the environmental lobby to reduce aircraft emissions and the noise and impact of large airports close to large populations. In defence, challenges include elongated proxy wars, regional disputes and the return of piracy on the high seas. And in the cyber arena, attacks by rogue states pose significant challenges to governments, exposing vulnerabilities in their infrastructure.

The industry’s response to these challenges is likely to be two-fold. Firstly, we can expect to see further consolidation in certain sub-segments of the industry. Secondly, we are likely to see more acquisitions driven by a desire to access new technologies. Amidst all of this, the Original Equipment Manufacturers will continue to push their suppliers to find further cost savings, improve reliability and reduce maintenance.

Our aerospace and defence team provides fundraising, transaction and advisory services across the sector. Our aim is to help deliver businesses that are sustainable in the long term, ensuring that they are secure, compliant, competitive and appropriately funded.

We have an excellent track record in the sector, having worked at BAE Systems and Airbus Industries. We also have experience of working on the customer side at the Ministry of Defence on major platforms including Typhoon, Type 45 Destroyers, missile systems and submarine propulsion.