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Industry Facts & Figures 2026
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Industry Facts & Figures 2026
The UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space industries are at the heart of the UK economy, building a secure and prosperous legacy. Our true value is our ability to deliver growth and prosperity throughout the nation.
The 2026 ADS Industry Facts and Figures guide shows the extent to which companies in our sectors serve as the industrial bedrock of the UK – delivering the well-paid jobs and high-tech exports we need to secure a prosperous future.
Securing UK advantage
ADS is the UK trade association advancing leadership in aerospace, defence, security and space, to enable prosperity and clean, secure growth for our nation.
Upcoming events
ADS promotes its members in lifting the limits to a new future built on clean growth, sovereign capabilities for peace, and opening space to all.
UK Rocketry Challenge 2027 – Sponsorship Opportunities
Workshop: Introduction to MOD Procurement – PA2023 – September 2026
Webinar: Cut Electricity Costs with BICS – DBIST Briefing
Knowledge
Always available to help our members unlock sector insight, Government priorities and economic trends on issues affecting our sectors
UK Defence ESG Charter: Turning resource challenges into supply chain resilience
UK Defence ESG Charter: Turning resource challenges into supply chain resilience
The UK Defence ESG Charter brings together organisations committed to improving environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, helping to build a more […] Read more
Unlocking the next phase of defence growth for SMEs – takeaways from DSRC
Unlocking the next phase of defence growth for SMEs – takeaways from DSRC
Supported by ADS, the inaugural Defence Security Resilience Cymru (DSRC) event held at ICC Wales in Newport last week, convened SMEs, prime […] Read more
Membership survey: Your opinion drives our priorities. Share it today!
Membership survey: Your opinion drives our priorities. Share it today!
Every two years, we conduct our membership survey and we’re thrilled to launch it for 2026. The survey gives us the opportunity […] Read more
UK Defence ESG Charter: Increasing supply chain resilience on critical minerals
UK Defence ESG Charter: Increasing supply chain resilience on critical minerals
The UK Defence ESG Charter brings together organisations committed to improving environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, helping to build a more […] Read more
Value of aerospace, defence, security and space to Wales grew by a quarter since 2020, ADS data reveals
Value of aerospace, defence, security and space to Wales grew by a quarter since 2020, ADS data reveals
The aerospace, defence, security and space sectors added £2 billion to Wales’ economy in 2025, growth of 25% since 2020 Turnover […] Read more
Aircraft order backlog surpasses 17,000 for the first time, ADS data reveals
Aircraft order backlog surpasses 17,000 for the first time, ADS data reveals
More than five times as many aircraft were ordered in July 2026 compared to July 2025 The global commercial aircraft backlog has […] Read more
UK Defence ESG Charter: Contributing to clean and innovative technologies
UK Defence ESG Charter: Contributing to clean and innovative technologies
The UK Defence ESG Charter brings together organisations committed to improving environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, helping to build a more […] Read more
Aerospace industry unites for UK recruitment campaign to tackle skills shortages
Aerospace industry unites for UK recruitment campaign to tackle skills shortages
Trade body ADS launches “There’s Aerospace For You” recruitment campaign as two thirds of aerospace employers warn skills shortages threaten future growth […] Read more
UK Defence ESG Charter: Decarbonising the industry’s supply chain
UK Defence ESG Charter: Decarbonising the industry’s supply chain
The UK Defence ESG Charter brings together organisations committed to improving environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, helping to build a more […] Read more
SME Spotlight – August 2026
SME Spotlight – August 2026
Welcome back to the ADS SME Spotlight! SMEs make up over 90% of the ADS membership, and as our sectors continue to […] Read more
The Ministry of Defence’s SME Action Plan in review
The Ministry of Defence’s SME Action Plan in review
Introduction There is no question the last few years have been challenging for our SME members. Whether it is accessing finance, navigating […] Read more
What the UK Defence ESG Charter tells us about resilience
What the UK Defence ESG Charter tells us about resilience
The UK Defence ESG Charter brings together defence companies committed to improving environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, helping to build a […] Read more
Get involved
All ADS Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are formed of Members and stakeholders with similar professional specialities. These groups are designed to enable Members to network, seek out business development opportunities, learn, influence markets and stakeholders and keep up to date with current, related developments.
