Privatisation is an option being considered by the government for the six powerful defence research establishments, which if they passed to key UK defence contractors would transform the profile of the likes of Plessey Co and Ferranti International: the six, collectively employing 15,000 and budgeted to receive UKP410m last financial year, are not at present permitted to take on commercial work, and the Ministry of Defence believes that their resources are under-used; they are the Royal Signals & Radar Establishment; Admiralty Research Establishment; the Royal Aerospace Establishment; the Royal Armament Research & Development Establishment; the Chemical Defence Establishment; and the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment.
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