British arms manufacturer BAE Systems axed 3,000 jobs on Tuesday, mainly at its military aircraft division, as reduced spending by governments hits demand for Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets. "Our customers are facing huge pressures on their defence budgets and affordability has become an increasing priority," BAE Systems chief executive Ian King said in a statement unveiling the "nearly 3,000" job losses.
"Our business needs to rise to this challenge to maintain its competitiveness and ensure its long-term future," King added. The company has a global workforce of 100,000 people, of which 40,000 are in Britain. It has customers across more than 100 countries and enjoyed annual sales of £22.4 billion ($34.8 billion, 25.7 billion euros) in 2010.
The biggest number of job cuts will be in northern England at facilities in Brough, where 899 positions will be lost, and in Warton and Samlesbury. There will also be jobs shed at BAE's head office in Farnborough in the south, and at other sites dotted across Britain. The group has also begun a consultation about ending manufacturing at the Brough plant, which currently employs 1,300 workers.
The news, which sparked outrage from trade unions, followed days of intense media speculation over impending job cuts at Britain's biggest defence company. BAE Systems said that its military aircraft wing had been hampered by a slowdown in orders for the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 jets.
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