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Direct Action at EDO, Brighton, on Global Day of Action on Military Spending

anti-militarist | 15.04.2013 12:25 | Smash EDO | Public sector cuts | World

Workers at EDO in Brighton arrived to work today to find the front gates drenched with red paint, symbolising the blood of the victims of the weapons manufacturer.

Today is International Day On Military Spending. The UK has higher military spending than almost every other country in the world: it ranks fourth, spending £39 billion every year. The government protects the military budget and subsidises each of the 55,000 jobs in the arms industry by over £12,000 per year, whilst subjecting vital public services to drastic spending cuts. 56,000 jobs in the NHS are expected to be cut.

EDO is a massive recipient of UK military spending. For instance, In 2012, the MoD awarded Raytheon a new £60 million contract to replenish supplies of Paveway IV guided bombs to the British Army. EDO MBM (a unit of US arms dealers ITT Exelis) will manufacture the umbilical interconnect system and containers in Brighton. Paveway IV bombs have been used in Afghanistan and Libya and an earlier model of the Paveway was used in Iraq.

anti-militarist