There was no SDSC-UK in 2025. Having planned to return to Telford for a third year in November 2025, the SDSC -UK went very quiet, then abruptly announced 2026 dates. It's hard to know how much resistance in Telford, particular action targeting the Telford International Centre, made a difference.
The 3CDSE arms fair at Three Counties Showground was the subject of intense opposition so it ended up moving to Telfordand rebranding in 2023.
Learn more: CAAT, Hide and Seek with an Arms Fair in Worcestershire| https://caat.org.uk/news/hide-and-seek-arms-fair/
A range of companies are exhibiting are the arms fair. SDSC-UK are listing them in their event website. You can get a flavour of the companies attending the event here:
Elbit Systems - manufacturer of bombs, mortars and drones, and Israel’s largest privately held arms company
L3 Harris - maker of surveillance, night vision and targeting equipment and supplier of bomb release mechanisms for Israel’s F35 aircraft, which has been confirmed as being involved in the deaths of civilians in Gaza
Ultra Electronics has been granted numerous arms export licences to Israel by the UK Government and has been involved in the development of the F35 warplane.
Bottom line, the arms trade drives death, destruction and suffering. The UK knowingly sells arms to nations involved in armed conflict and human rights abuses, including those in Bahrain, Turkey, Egypt, Philippines, Hong Kong, Israel, Saudi Arabia and beyond.
Firstly, weapons are not tracked. Even someone arguing for the use of them in certain situations can't claim regulation - they are sold and resold with impunity.
We could convert the exertise and resources spent on arms for renewable energy and other social goods. In 2022, global military budgets hit an all-time high of $2.2 trillion, according to data released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the eighth consecutive year of increase. This includes $112 Billion on global arms sales annually.
Not only could these resources be redirected to public goods like eradicating poverty and disease, they could be used more effectively for jobs. The UK arms industry is sustained by substantial subsidies that are not granted to other industries.
Southwater Event Group says its values include: "Integrity: doing the right thing for our people, our guests and the environment."
But 'there is robust research showing the link between climate change and the arms industry. An estimated 5.5% of global emissions come from militarism, which is equivalent to 2.2 billion tons of CO2.'
https://nation.cymru/opinion/the-arms-trade-and-the-climate-crisis/