Admittedly, the story has only been picked up Russia Today and The Guardian, but even if you discount their inherent bias/hypocrisy, this is bloody typical and might explain a lot of the 'budget overruns' at the MoD:
Dozens of employees of arms firms are currently seconded to positions at the heart of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and other parts of government, under an arrangement that has sparked concerns about the cosy relationships between the public and private sector.
More than 10 executives from BAE alone have been seconded into the MoD and the arms sales unit at UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) in the last year, according to records obtained by the Guardian.
Others include employees of MBDA (makers of missiles including those used by drones) and Babcock (the defence contractor involved in refitting Trident) as well as gunnery systems maker MSI, who have been occupying upper level roles inside the MoD.
The salaries of secondees were paid by their companies, not the government departments they joined.
Debate Magazine
