• Question: Do you ever wonder where the stuff you make goes and is used for (I know if I was working in association the military I would be constantly worrying about how my creations being used) and does the identity of the recipient of your creations ever give you second thoughts

    Asked by Connor Byrne to Kirstin on 11 Jun 2016. This question was also asked by Maddie.
    • Photo: Kirstin Rouse

      Kirstin Rouse answered on 11 Jun 2016:

      Good question, and yes.

      I’m comfortable knowing that my work is for the defense industry so it’s all about preventing bad stuff from happening. Obviously it’d be better to avoid any of that but unfortunately we don’t all get along which is why the industry exists.

      In terms of the recipient of creations, we never know for sure as that’s secret military information. We just know who our customers are (RAF, Royal Navy, etc.) and there are very strict rules on top of that about what countries we are actually allowed to trade with.

      At the end of the day, even though you might find the work really exciting and interesting, you have to make sure that you’re also comfortable with what your work is being used FOR. It’s up to each individual to figure this out and decide what’s right for them. It’s not for everyone.

      You might want to read what I put for this question as well – /aerospacej16-zone/2016/06/11/do-you-think-it-is-good-to-help-the-military/

Comments

  • Photo: John

    John commented on :

    It’s a dilemma for sure. I work on engines and do not deliberately design them for military use, yet I see Toyota pickups (which I have knowingly worked on) with machine guns mounted on the back of them, on the news, being used by all sorts of militias. Most things can be misused, or used for military purposes, so it’s difficult to avoid. My view on it is that I try to avoid working on anything with direct military applications – I wouldn’t work in munitions for example, but I won’t stop working on engines just because people use them for military purposes.

  • Photo: I cant use scissors

    I cant use scissors commented on :

    when you don’t get asked it so then go in the comments instead lol