BAE Systems - Criticism

Criticism

Espionage

In September 2003 The Sunday Times reported that BAE had hired a private security contractor to collate information about individuals working at the Campaign Against Arms Trade and their activities. In February 2007, it again obtained private confidential information from CAAT.

BAE was reported to be the target of cyber espionage that may have stolen secrets related to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.

Human rights records

Like many arms manufacturers, BAE has received criticism from various human rights and anti-arms trade organisations due to the human rights records of governments to which it has sold equipment. These include Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Zimbabwe.

Nuclear weapons

In 2006, BAE was excluded from the portfolio of the government pension fund of Norway "because they develop and/or produce central components for nuclear weapons". "According to the ethical guidelines for the Government Pension Fund – Global, companies that produce weapons that through normal use may violate fundamental humanitarian principles shall be excluded from the fund." BAE is indirectly engaged in production of nuclear weapons – through its 37.5% share of MBDA it is involved with the production and support of the ASMP missile, an air launched nuclear missile which forms part of the French nuclear deterrent. BAE is also the UK's only nuclear submarine manufacturer and thus produces a key element of the UK's nuclear weapons capability.

Cluster bombs

BAE has in recent times been criticised for its role in the production of cluster bombs, due to the long term death/injury risks they cause to civilians; cluster bombs behave similar to land mines. However, after pressure campaigns from various human rights groups, BAE recently stated it no longer produces land mines or cluster bombs.