London and Berlin signed a "historical military agreement," despite the fact that Britain did not join the German-led "Sky Shield" initiative. The agreement includes the development of missiles and additional studies in the Baltic region, as well as the basing of German counter-drone aircraft in Scotland. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated: "Safety in Europe is not a given."
The agreement proposes the opening of a new factory by the German defense company Rheinmetall in the UK for military production, which contributes to the creation of hundreds of jobs. Arnold emphasized that this is a "strong foundation for strengthening future cooperation, including joint research in the field of advanced missile technology."
Britain and Germany are working on developing capabilities for "deep strike," able to strike at greater distances and with greater precision than current weapons, such as the Storm Shadow cruise missiles. In particular, the UK is committed to the European initiative for developing effective weapons and producing advanced missile technology with the participation of Germany, France, Italy, and Poland.
Cooperation also includes monitoring underwater infrastructure, which has become a key objective in recent months regarding the vulnerabilities around gas pipelines, as well as communications and electrical cables. According to the agreement, German maritime patrol planes P-8A, used for submarine search, have received permission to operate from a Scottish base.
Germany, the UK, and France, despite France's recent hesitation, have moved towards cooperation in the procurement and use of multi-layered defense systems across Europe. Additionally, Berlin and London committed to working together on such technology.
It is noted that London has begun a strategic external review to determine its future military needs. Relations between the parties have become a priority for the UK after the victory of the Labour Party in parliamentary elections in July.
The agreement is considered part of the plan of the new Labour government to strengthen relations between Britain and major European capitals through NATO or on a bilateral basis. British defense minister Jon Healey emphasized that the "Trinity House" agreement ensures "an unprecedented level of new cooperation between armed forces and the German industry."