Cobham, the UK aerospace and defence manufacturer that recently joined the FTSE 100, reported a 42 per cent surge in orders, driven by strong demand from military and national security markets.

The Dorset-based company predicted on Thursday that it would beat its own revenue growth targets for the full year, after reporting a 24 per cent rise in underlying profits to £106.6m for the six months to June. Pre-tax profits rose to £84m (£68m).