The Church of England has invested up to \u00c2\u00a310m in one of the world’s major arms firms, which supplies systems and technology for unmanned drones and jets to conflicts around the world. The discovery, on the eve of what is set to be the biggest day of protests against DSEi \u201d\u201c the UK’s leading arms fair \u201d\u201c in Docklands, London, tomorrow, has led worshippers to accuse church leaders of profiting from conflict.<\/p>\n
The Church Commissioners and Church of England Pensions Board are both shareholders in General Electric (GE), with shareholdings up to \u00c2\u00a310m. Yesterday, the Church defended the investment, claiming less than 3 per cent of GE’s business was based in arms sales.<\/p>\n
But the firm, along with its key subsidiary General Aviation, is a leading supplier of “integrated systems and technologies” for combat aircraft, military transport, helicopters, land vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles \u201d\u201c better known as drones.<\/p>\n