This article was last updated on October 23, 2024
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British and Germans sign ‘historic’ defense pact, will make weapons together
Britain and Germany have signed a new military pact. The agreement means, among other things, that the two countries will cooperate in the field of defense and jointly develop weapons. Examples of this are long-range missiles and drones.
Both the British and Germans speak of a historic agreement that has been given the name Trinity House, named after the place in London where it was signed. The pact’s goal is to strengthen national security and economic growth, “in the face of growing Russian aggression and increasing threats.”
The cooperation includes defense projects in various areas: air, land, sea, space and in the field of cyber security. “It will bring the two countries’ defense industries closer than ever,” they said in a joint statement.
Germany will also station aircraft in Scotland to protect the northern Atlantic Ocean, according to its own statement. These are German spy planes that will regularly take off from the Royal Air Force airbase in Lossiemouth to search for Russian submarines.
United Kingdom Correspondent Fleur Launspach
“In their speech, the British and German defense ministers mainly emphasize the war in Ukraine and the threat from Russia, in order to underline the importance of the defense deal between Europe’s two major military powers. But there is more going on: broader international developments concern many Western leaders care.
Besides the war in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine, the Taiwan issue can also escalate at any time. If all that happens at once, it will simply be too much for the US to respond to everything. This makes it clearer than ever for Europe: it is time to get its own house in order and be less dependent on the Americans, whose attention is now spread across several trouble spots.”
For the British, France had always been the most important European partner in the military field. This is the first time that Great Britain has engaged with Germany on such a large scale.
The partnership between Britain and Germany will not only improve national security but also boost economic growth. For example, the agreement stipulates that the German defense company Rheinmetall will open a new factory in the United Kingdom for the production of barrels for artillery guns. This would create 400 jobs, boosting the British economy by half a billion pounds.
Germany Correspondent Charlotte Waaijers
“The Germans see the security of Europe at risk and want to do more to deter Russia in particular. Until now, Germany has relied heavily militarily on NATO ally the US, but with the impending departure of President Biden they are losing an anchor in the cooperation. And there is great concern that Europe will have to do more of its own work if Trump returns to power.
That is why the government wants to work more with other militarily strong allies in Europe. The fact that industrial interests also play a role was evident from previous difficult German negotiations with France on the joint development of armored vehicles. Both countries have their own arms companies that partly compete with each other. In this case, the deal with the British for, for example, the production of artillery tubes also helps German industry.”
“The Trinity House agreement is a milestone in our relationship with Germany and an important strengthening of security in Europe,” British Defense Secretary John Healey said at a press conference in the British capital. “Yes, politicians come and go. But the agreement will live on and will make our countries and Europe safer in the coming years.”
His German colleague Pistorius, in turn, said that because of the war in Ukraine, security in Europe cannot be taken for granted. According to him, the agreement strengthens both Europe and NATO.
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