AN INVESTIGATION by Declassified UK revealed today that one of the world’s largest arms producers has received £1.3 billion in government science subsidies over the past three decades.

More than 600 research grants for British universities have been given to joint projects with BAE Systems, meanwhile tens of millions worth of handouts have helped fund student internships at the multi-billion pound firm. 

The grants were awarded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), a branch of UK Research and Innovation, which is part of the Department for Science. 

A Freedom of Information request seen by Declassified found that £933 million worth of state science grants have been given to projects with BAE since 1994. The figure was adjusted to £1.3bn in line with inflation. 

The firm, which makes combat aircraft, warships, tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery, missiles and intelligence, is valued at almost £38bn. 

It provides components for Israel’s F-35 fighter jets, which currently rain down bombs on innocent civilians in Gaza, and has seen its share prices soar by around a third since Israel intensified its attacks in October.

Stop the War Coalition’s Lindsey German said: “It is absolutely sickening that a company that has racked up record profits from the wars in Yemen, Ukraine, Sudan and now the genocide in Gaza is receiving massive state handouts to develop ever more deadly weapons of mass destruction.

“That we now have a Labour government carrying out a defence review that it will inevitably use to justify its promised hike in military spending, when our public services and infrastructure are in crisis, is equally sickening.”

A BAE Systems spokesperson told Declassified that it was “proud to work with academia to develop technologies that help deliver military capability and protect national security.”