The world's largest arms fair offers any number of ways to kill, destroy, and conquer, by land, sea, and air.

Yet this year's event, held in London, is a little different, given how easily it has been discovered that many of these companies have been supplying equipment to countries which used them against their own populations during the Arab Spring.

Liam Fox, Britain's most senior defence minister, arrived at the fair to reassure any nervous manufacturers that despite all the controversy they need not worry about a lack of political backing.

Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee reports from London, UK.