Deborah Haynes, Security and Defense Editor
German fighter jets capable of tracking Russian submarines will begin operating off the coast of Scotland as early as next year as part of a “groundbreaking” defense deal between London and Berlin.
The new deal, which is expected to be signed tomorrow by Defense Secretary John Healey and his German counterpart, will also pave the way for German defense companies to open factories in Britain to make artillery barrels.
It has been 10 years since this type of weapon has been manufactured in the UK, even though the urgent need to expand this type of production capacity was made clear by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost three years ago. It becomes yellowtail.
In a further deepening of military cooperation, Britain and Germany will work together to build a new long-range missile capable of hitting targets with greater precision and range than the British and French Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
Mr Healy described the so-called Trinity Agreement as a “milestone” moment in UK-German relations and said it would help strengthen European security.
“This will ensure an unprecedented level of new cooperation between the German military and German industry, benefiting our countries’ common security and prosperity and safeguarding our common values,” he said in a statement. “The defense industrial base will be strengthened.”
The Ministry of Defense said Britain and Germany are “Europe’s two largest defense spenders” after increasing defense spending in response to President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
However, the UK also has a close defense relationship with France, built around specific defense treaties.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who is in the UK to sign the new deal, said Berlin and London were moving closer together.
“With projects across the air, land, sea and cyber domains, we will jointly strengthen our defense capabilities and thereby strengthen the European pillar within NATO,” he said.
“Europe’s security cannot be taken for granted. Russia is waging war against Ukraine, has significantly increased its weapons production, and has repeatedly launched hybrid attacks against its partners in Eastern Europe.”
This includes targeting undersea cables, gas pipelines, and other submerged critical infrastructure.
Britain and Germany are committed to working together to protect these cables in the North Sea.
