UK and Germany sign ‘landmark’ defence treaty
Britain and Germany are set to sign what the UK government describes as a “landmark defence agreement” designed to enhance security, investment, and job creation.
As part of this agreement, the German defence company Rheinmetall will establish a new factory in the UK to manufacture artillery gun barrels, which will create 400 jobs.
The two nations will collaborate on developing a new long-range missile and drones, while German maritime surveillance aircraft will also conduct periodic patrols over the North Atlantic from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.
The Labour Party, while in opposition, pledged to strengthen military ties with Germany, and this initiative reflects the government’s broader effort to rebuild relations with key European allies following Brexit.
The UK already has a defence pact with France—the Lancaster House Treaty—signed in 2010 by David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy. However, this marks the first such agreement with Germany.
Both Germany and the UK are the largest defence spenders in Europe and the leading European military supporters of Ukraine.
Defence Secretary John Healey called this a “milestone moment,” emphasizing the closer ties between the military and defence industries of the two countries.
In practice, the two nations already collaborate as members of the NATO alliance. They are also engaged in a joint venture to produce new tanks and armoured vehicles for the British Army. Rheinmetall and BAE Systems have formed RBSL to manufacture the Boxer armoured fighting vehicle and the latest Challenger 3 tank in Telford, Shropshire.
Under the new Trinity House Agreement, Rheinmetall will build the new factory in the UK to resume production of artillery gun barrels, which the UK halted over a decade ago. The location for the factory has yet to be announced, but the Ministry of Defence (MOD) indicates it will support over 400 jobs and utilize British steel from Sheffield Forgemasters.
The steelmaker was recently acquired by the UK Government. The first artillery gun barrels are expected to roll off the production line in 2027.
The Trinity House Agreement also includes a commitment to develop a new long-range missile, which the MOD says will be more precise and can be fired further than any current systems – the UK’s Storm Shadow and Germany’s Taurus. Unlike the UK, Germany has refused to supply Ukraine with its Taurus cruise missile.
The UK and Germany will further co-operate on developing drones which might be able to fly alongside Typhoon jets operated by both countries.
German P8 maritime surveillance aircraft will periodically operate out of RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland to help patrol the North Atlantic. Other NATO allies have been doing the same for a number of years.
There is also a promise to bolster the defence of NATO’s eastern flank; both the UK and Germany have already sent hundreds of troops to the Baltic states as part of NATO’s enhanced defence plans following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Germany’s defence minister, Boris Pistorius, said the agreement will strengthen Europe and NATO.
“We must not take security in Europe for granted,” he said, adding that the projects being undertaken would be open to other partners.
