Defence giant BAE Systems has revealed that earnings for the first six months of 2013 were down by around 6% to £865m.
Ian King, chief executive of BAE Systems, said: "This is a challenging environment but we continue to take the necessary actions to manage the business for the benefit of both our customers and our shareholders.
Chris Boardman, managing director of the Military Air and Information division, added: “On the back of the orders from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Sultanate of Oman last year there is a renewed spirit of optimism in the business and a real focus on doing all we can do to secure more export orders.
“The Sultanate of Oman order for 12 Typhoon and eight Hawk aircraft helps sustain thousands of jobs in the region gives us a stable base to build from and fits in with our strategy to make MAI a truly international business.
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