MSI-DEFENCE SYSTEMS LTD
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Cash
£36m
+181.6% highest in 3 filed years
Net assets
£36m
+11.8% highest in 3 filed years
Employees
190
-1.6% vs 2025
Profit before tax
£12m
-41.5% lowest in 3 filed years
Net assets
3-year trend · vs Industrials median
Accounts
3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2026-04-30
| Metric | Trend | 2024-04-30 | 2025-04-30 | 2026-04-30 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £66,918,000 | £81,280,000 | £59,727,000 | -26.5% | |
| Operating profit | £13,716,000 | £19,383,000 | £10,987,000 | -43.3% | |
| Profit before tax | £14,221,000 | £20,173,000 | £11,806,000 | -41.5% | |
| Net profit | £11,112,000 | £15,120,000 | £8,838,000 | -41.5% | |
| Cash | £22,200,000 | £12,636,000 | £35,578,000 | +181.6% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £30,763,000 | £44,542,000 | £42,801,000 | -3.9% | |
| Net assets | £22,503,000 | £32,623,000 | £36,461,000 | +11.8% | |
| Equity | £22,503,000 | £32,623,000 | £36,461,000 | +11.8% | |
| Average employees | 170 | 193 | 190 | -1.6% | |
| Wages | £8,755,000 | £10,209,000 | £10,026,000 | -1.8% | |
| Directors' remuneration | £1,142,000 | £1,131,000 | £1,081,000 | -4.4% | |
| Directors' pension contributions | £38,000 | £30,000 | £22,000 | -26.7% | |
| Highest paid director | £337,000 | £388,000 | £313,000 | -19.3% |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2024-04-30 | 2025-04-30 | 2026-04-30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 20.5% | 23.8% | 18.4% | |
| Net margin | 16.6% | 18.6% | 14.8% | |
| Return on capital employed | 44.6% | 43.5% | 25.7% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 71.2% | 61.6% | 56.3% | |
| Current ratio | 1.49x | 1.91x | 1.84x | |
| Interest cover | 66.26x | — | 65.79x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Name history
Renamed 4 times since incorporation
- MSI-DEFENCE SYSTEMS LTD 1991-08-23 → present
- DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS LIMITED 1988-04-29 → 1991-08-23
- NOTCHLOOK LIMITED 1987-09-03 → 1988-04-29
- NORCAST LIMITED 1986-08-01 → 1987-09-03
- LAURENCE SCOTT LIMITED 1969-05-23 → 1986-08-01
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 101
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Grant Thornton UK LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“As a result, in making the going concern assessment the directors consider there to be no material uncertainties that could cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue to operate as a going concern.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
10 active · 27 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEAN, Theresa Helen Nicola | Secretary | 2024-09-11 | — | — |
| ASHCROFT, Shelley Louise | Director | 2024-05-02 | Aug 1985 | British |
| BELL, Michael James | Director | — | Feb 1946 | British |
| CODLING, David Victor | Director | 2020-11-27 | Apr 1970 | British |
| DEAN, Theresa Helen Nicola | Director | 2024-05-01 | Apr 1984 | British |
| GIBBONS, John | Director | 2019-11-18 | Feb 1976 | Irish |
| LARKE, Barry | Director | 2008-11-07 | Apr 1946 | British |
| MELDRUM, John | Director | 2017-08-03 | Nov 1968 | British |
| O'CONNELL, Michael Patrick Andrew | Director | — | Oct 1949 | British |
| WEST, Thomas Arthur | Director | 2019-04-15 | May 1975 | British |
Show 27 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| GENTLE, Philip Alan | Secretary | 2008-11-07 | 2008-11-07 |
| GENTLE, Philip Alan | Secretary | 2002-09-01 | 2024-09-11 |
| WILLIAMS, David John | Secretary | — | 2002-08-31 |
| BAKER, David John | Director | 2008-11-10 | 2009-08-31 |
| BOWEN, Paul | Director | 2010-05-01 | 2017-01-27 |
| BYRNE, John Anthony | Director | 2017-08-03 | 2018-03-30 |
| DAVIS, Ian Paul | Director | 2009-10-20 | 2013-05-31 |
| DOUGLAS, Mark John | Director | 2014-03-03 | 2017-03-03 |
| FELLOWS, Peter Thomas | Director | 2009-10-15 | 2016-01-31 |
| FULLER, Ian Russell | Director | 2014-10-01 | 2015-01-29 |
| GENTLE, Philip Alan | Director | 2008-11-07 | 2025-07-30 |
| GROSCH, Daniel | Director | 2018-10-08 | 2020-03-06 |
| HANSELL, David George | Director | 2008-11-07 | 2014-05-03 |
| HONOUR, Vernon | Director | — | 1992-01-17 |
| HOSSACK, Stuart | Director | 2014-10-01 | 2016-03-11 |
| HOUGH, Geoffrey Price | Director | — | 2002-12-31 |
| HOWELLS, Robert William | Director | 2018-10-26 | 2024-10-11 |
| JAMES, Leonie Jade | Director | 2022-05-26 | 2025-10-17 |
| LUCK, Darren John | Director | 2026-01-05 | 2026-04-24 |
| OWENS, Julian David | Director | 2016-09-09 | 2018-11-30 |
| PRYOR, Matthew Alistair | Director | 2015-07-06 | 2018-04-23 |
| PYLE, David | Director | — | 2013-04-27 |
| ROBJOHN, Jan Quentin | Director | 2017-11-01 | 2019-02-27 |
| SUMMERS, Claire Marie | Director | 2018-06-18 | 2020-05-03 |
| THOMAS, Gareth Charles | Director | 2014-10-01 | 2020-11-17 |
| WADE, Robert John | Director | 2012-01-24 | 2013-05-31 |
| WILLIAMS, David John | Director | 1991-12-13 | 2002-08-31 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ms International Plc | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100% | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 205 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-13 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-07-17 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2026-04-29 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2026-01-26 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-10-27 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-09-23 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-08-29 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2025-08-04 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-08-01 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-10-18 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-10-02 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-09-11 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2024-09-11 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2024-09-11 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2024-09-06 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-05-15 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-05-15 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-05-08 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2023-10-30 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2023-10-26 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 5
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 2
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.