Germany and UK sign 'landmark defense agreement'

The UK and Germany have signed a "landmark defense agreement" in a boost to security, investment and employment.

German weapons manufacturer Rheinmetall will open a new factory in the UK, while German reconnaissance aircraft will fly missions over the North Atlantic from a Royal Air Force base in Scotland. London and Berlin will also step up their cooperation on the development of drones and long-range cruise missiles.

British Defense Minister John Healy described the agreement in glowing terms, saying it is "a milestone moment in our relationship with Germany and a major strengthening of Europe's security.

"It secures unprecedented levels of new cooperation with the German armed forces and industry, bringing benefits to our shared security and prosperity, protecting our shared values and boosting our defense industrial bases."

The deal to manufacture barrels for artillery guns is set to create some 400 jobs in the UK, with the first barrels expected to roll off the production lines in 2027.

Increasing cooperation with their German partners was always a priority for the incoming Labour government, which took charge this summer for the first time since the UK left the European Union.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that signing this pact, known as the Trinity House Agreement, would allow the two NATO members to work closer together on defending the Alliance's eastern flank with attention firmly on Russia and Ukraine: the UK and Germany have been Ukraine's biggest European military donors during the conflict. 

"With projects across the air, land, sea and cyber domains, we will jointly increase our defense capabilities, thereby strengthening the European pillar within NATO," said Pistorius. Referencing Ukraine, he said "We must not take security in Europe for granted."

Part of the agreement will be to develop the next generation of long-range missiles, with the hope of increasing range and accuracy. While the UK uses Storm Shadow cruise missiles and has exported some to Ukraine, Germany uses Taurus missiles and has ignored Kyiv's request for supplies. 

To Chancellor Olaf Scholz, providing missiles that could be used to strike deep into Russia would provoke Moscow and risk the conflict spreading. It has not been popular in the Bundestag, with CDU opposition leader Friedrich Metz – the man most likely to win next year's election, according to polling – willing to consider supplying Taurus missiles to Kyiv.

Among the military aid Berlin did provide was the Sea King helicopter, and this new UK-Germany deal will kickstart a program to equip the Sea King fleet with modern missiles, alongside joint development of land-based drones and armed vehicles. 

Aside from the development of weapons, the Trinity House Agreement will also see German aircraft periodically stationed at RAF Lossiemouth to fly patrols over the Northern Atlantic.