BAE Systems, the British engineering conglomerate, has announced a significant upswing in financial and operational performance for 2025, as reported earlier today. The company revealed underlying earnings before interest and taxes of £3.32 billion, marking a 12% increase over the previous year, with sales rising by 10% to a record £30.66 billion.
Europe’s largest defence contractor also disclosed a record order backlog of £83.6 billion as of December’s end. Its order intake reached £36.8 billion, driven by key contracts and strategic investments.
In a major development, BAE Systems inaugurated the expansive Janet Harvey Hall at its Govan site in Glasgow. This facility can accommodate the simultaneous construction of two Type 26 frigates, with HMS Belfast and HMS Birmingham currently under assembly. Further enhancing its workforce, BAE Systems welcomed over 2,500 early careers employees last year, elevating its total number of apprentices, graduates, and undergraduates in the UK to 6,800.
Internationally, Norway selected the Type 26 frigate for its future warship programme under a landmark £10 billion agreement. Additionally, the UK Government announced a deal with Turkey to acquire 20 Typhoon aircraft, projected to be worth £4.6 billion to BAE Systems and expected to support 20,000 jobs across the UK.
Further progress was noted for the Royal Navy projects, with HRH The Princess of Wales naming HMS Glasgow and the keel of HMS Dreadnought being laid at Barrow-in-Furness. The company also opened a facility in Sheffield to manufacture M777 howitzers and other combat systems and established the Applied Shipbuilding Academy for advanced training in Glasgow.
These developments underscore BAE Systems’ strategic growth and commitment to strengthening its position in the global defence sector.
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