RAF Museum in row over children’s exhibition’s link to arms giant

One of the country’s most prestigious military museums is at the centre of a row over its decision to host an exhibition for young children which promotes an arms giant whose missiles are being used in Yemen. The RAF Museum in north London has been criticised for hosting MathsAlive!, an immersive interactive exhibit aimed at children aged seven and over that is presented by Raytheon, the world’s third largest arms manufacturer.

Many organisations, including the UN and Amnesty International, allege that Saudi-led forces are bombing civilian targets in Yemen, in breach of human rights laws. Paveway II and Paveway IV missiles – manufactured by Raytheon – are being used extensively in the campaign, which has become a major humanitarian disaster with thousands killed and millions left struggling to obtain food and medical care.

In the exhibition children can take part in a live-action snowboard race, control a Mars rover and fend off cyber invaders from inside a computer game. “Maths has never been so much fun!” boasts the exhibition, which has already run in Australia, the Middle East and the US.

But critics urged the museum to rethink its relationship with Raytheon, whose UK-made arms have also been linked to Israeli operations in Palestine. “Raytheon is a disgraceful company that has profited from war, conflict and destruction around the world,” said Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade. “Its missiles have played a central role in the brutal bombardment of Yemen. The RAF Museum should not be providing it with a marketing platform to airbrush its long history of fuelling atrocities and arming dictatorships.”

Arms manufacturers regularly promote themselves to children. Earlier this year, Raytheon promoted a UK-wide drone-making competition for schools that involved 500 students in 84 teams. This year, its rival BAE has been visiting 420 schools promoting an “interactive experience for students aged 10 to 13 years old”.

Smith said: “Arms companies are not targeting children because they care about education, it’s because they want to gain respectability and normalise their terrible business. They will not be highlighting the human rights abusing regimes that they arm and support, or the appalling humanitarian costs of their deadly wares.”

A spokesman for the museum, which was officially opened by the Queen in 1972 and displays some 130 aircraft, defended the partnership.

“We partnered with Raytheon for the UK premiere because they are an established partner of the Royal Air Force and have sponsored MathsAlive! in venues worldwide. Our museum exists to share the story of the Royal Air Force and encourage debate. This interactive exhibition showcases the importance of maths within everyday life.”

A spokesman for Raytheon said: “Encouraging students to study science, technology, engineering and maths is apolitical and championing Stem is something that everyone can support, regardless of ideology. This collaboration serves to raise awareness of the importance of Stem education among young people.”