Comment by closewith
11 hours ago
> We really need to up our defence game by not requiring collaboration with other countries or companies.
That would require reindustrialising, which while possible would require a complete reorganisation of UK society and accepting a much lower financial standard (financially, at least) of living as the workforce moves to manual labour from services.
> The UK has a lot of pioneering knowledge and continues to make breakthroughs but it would be better if we could be a bit more selfish and make our own stuff with our own supply chain.
This is just exceptionalist nonsense. The UK has neither the industrial expertise nor experience to rearm domestically.
> That would require reindustrialising, which while possible would require a complete reorganisation of UK society and accepting a much lower financial standard (financially, at least) of living as the workforce moves to manual labour from services.
Not sure that holds up:
- Manufacturing: £785/week average earnings (Apr 2025) https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwor...
- Services: £708/week average earnings (Apr 2025) https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwor...
This is the 21st century — people aren’t running around soot-covered factories anymore.
Modern industry is about designing, building, and maintaining complex hardware and software systems, often with a big dose of automation.
It’s more likely you’re managing robots than shoveling coal.
In fact UK car companies WERE soot covered factories (eg Jaguar and Land Rover) as recently as the 1990s (when Ford bought them and completely upgraded their production lines).
The UK going alone on military equipment:
> This is just exceptionalist nonsense. The UK has neither the industrial expertise nor experience to rearm domestically.
No, you are writing nonsense -
Here is a non-exhaustive list of modern (80s - current era breakthroughs which are British)
- Chohbam composite tank armour (the best in the world)
- Dragonfire Laser
- Rapier AA missile, now being replaced by SkySabre
- Accuracy International firearms (best sniper rifles in the world)
- Rolls Royce jet engines
- Naval Sonar and Radar systems
I could go on
> Chohbam composite tank armour
Chobham is from the '60s, but the UK cannot manufacture Chobham or the current incarnation Epsom independently.
> Dragonfire Laser
Developed by MBDA UK (a subsidiary of MBDA, owned by Airbus, BAE, and Leonardo) and QinetiQ. It also cannot be manufactured independently by the UK.
> SkySabre
MBDA again, also cannot be manufactured independently by the UK.
> Accuracy International firearms (best sniper rifles in the world)
Cannot be manufactured independently by the UK. Not even the barrels nor the steel to produce them, both of which are imported.
> Rolls Royce jet engines
Cannot be manufactured independently by the UK, which does not even manufacture most of the parts in the UK.
> I could go on
You could, and you'd continue to prove my point. The UK can partly design and manage projects (the services sector) and can assemble some items from parts mostly imported and almost exclusively using overseas inputs.
I think it's also telling that majority of all the items mentioned armour, from composite armour to Trent turbofans are already manufactured overseas and outside the UK
and that is wrong morally/politically/national pride; we should re-industrialize and pronto.
China, Russia (gotten lean and mean from Ukraine war) are going to outpace us.
You seem to be "ok" with this, but I think that is apathy and must be corrected for our national standing, otherwise we will be laughed at and outcompeted.
What good is designing a processor if we can make the silicon itself?
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