Britain and Germany Wednesday announced a new bilateral defense agreement. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (L) and British Secretary of State for Defense John Healey (R) said the aims are to enhance defense cooperation amid escalating security concerns triggered by the Russian invasion and occupation of Ukraine. File photo by Hannibal Hanschke/ EPA-EFE
Oct. 23 (UPI) — Britain and Germany Wednesday announced a new bilateral defense agreement that aims to enhance defense cooperation amid escalating security concerns triggered by the Russian invasion and occupation of Ukraine.
Britain and Germany vowed to confront security threats across all domains “with cooperation in Cyber, Communications, and Information Systems forming the backbone and connective tissue required” to effectively confront the threats together.
“Recognizing the imperative for closer collaboration in the face of evolving geopolitical challenges and shared security threats, we aim to promote stability on NATO’s eastern flank, in Europe as a whole, and beyond for the Euro-Atlantic area,” British Defense Minister John Healey and German defense minister Boris Pistorius said in their joint communique.
“Our shared strategic objective is to sustain effective deterrence against would-be aggressors by building credible, resilient defense forces and defense industries, working towards the vision of a peaceful and stable Euro-Atlantic area.”
The two nations said strategic defense cooperation is an “important first pillar” in what they described as a new relationship codified by the Trinity House Agreement on Defense.
The agreement will be finalized in 2025.
The objectives include strengthening defense industries, reinforcing Euro-Atlantic security, enhancing interoperability, addressing emerging threats, supporting Ukraine, and deep precision strike coordination.
Britain and Germany said they would work jointly “to rapidly develop extended Deep Precision Strike capabilities, to provide a conventional deterrent in Europe and strengthen European Integrated Air and Missile Defense.”
They will work closely, together with other allies, to develop and employ uncrewed aerial systems and to better integrate future air combat systems.
German P-8A Poseidon jets will operate out of British territory in the North Atlantic for security patrols.
The two nations will also conduct joint combined operations with other allies focused on anti-submarine warfare.
They will work jointly with Canada and the Baltic states on forward land forces, expand industrial defense cooperation and better coordinate British and German forces on the eastern European flank with combined exercises.
That effort will include sharing plans on integration of military capabilities to ensure interoperability to enhance precision strike capabilities.
To strengthen the eastern European flank, Britain and Germany said they will “work to strengthen NATO by developing doctrine, uncrewed systems, and enabling capabilities to transform our land forces; sustaining continuous land-based deterrence within Europe.”
The new British-German defense pact will work to better coordinate undersea cooperation in the North Atlantic and North Sea to get a clear picture of underwater activity in order to protect critical undersea infrastructure and sea communications lines.
“In addition, we are committed to working together for as long as it takes to support and enable Ukraine to counter Russian aggression,” the joint British-German communique said. “Our combined will is unequivocal, we will continue to ensure Ukraine has the military capabilities it requires.”
The allies said they will work more closely together “to meet tomorrow’s threats wherever they come from.”
The new treaty is part of a broader effort by Britain to re-configure its relations with European allies post-Brexit as Europe attempts to strengthen solidarity ahead of the U.S. presidential election.