Published 21 July 2023

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We have published the DE&S Annual Report and Accounts (ARAC) for the 2022/23 financial year.

During that period, DE&S procured £1.3 billion of lethal and non-lethal equipment and support for Ukraine – the UK’s largest movement of ammunition since the Second World War. This massive intensity of support has continued into the 23/24 financial year. We also continued to manage more than 2,600 contracts and more than 500 live programmes.

Among our key achievements during 2022-2023:

  • We delivered 91% of our strategic milestones.
  • We remained within budget and continued to drive a culture of efficiencyS delivery, realising £169 million of efficiencies, exceeding our in-year target by £48 million.
  • We helped equip the Ukrainian armed forces, both through grants from our existing stores and through additional rapid procurement activity.

Andy Start, Chief Executive Officer of DE&S, said:

“Over the past year, our nation has faced multiple challenges to its security and prosperity. Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, the global economic downturn, high inflation and the worsening impacts of climate change have severely tested our supply chains and industrial base, but our Annual Report demonstrates that DE&S has responded well.

“The pace and scale of our support to Ukraine has been incredible, and I am proud that we have enabled the rapid procurement, movement and largest delivery of equipment and ammunition since the Second World War. Added to this the ongoing strong performance against the armed forces’ strategic milestones and our delivery of efficiency savings are helping Defence deliver on its mission to support UK security and prosperity.

“Looking forward, we are well underway with implementing our refreshed strategy and are focused on completing and implementing the review of our operating model, and supporting similar defence-wide activity. We want to make sure the organisation delivers maximum capability and technological advantage to the armed forces, that matches the emerging threat and the huge geopolitical shifts witnessed over the past year.”

A further highlight in the DE&S ARAC is our achievements against the Equipment Plan – showing DE&S delivered 826 new assets with a Gross Book Value of £2.062billion, of which the largest were three F-35B Lightning II aircraft valued at £85 million each.

To read the ARAC in full please click here.