The UK and Germany have signed the groundbreaking Trinity House Agreement, a defence pact that will see the two nations collaborate on developing new long-range strike weapons and bolster the UK defence industry.
The agreement, signed by Defence Secretary John Healey MP and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, aims to strengthen European security and drive investment in both countries.
A key feature of the agreement is the joint development of a new long-range strike system designed to be more precise and have greater range than current systems, such as the Storm Shadow. This initiative will significantly enhance NATO’s ability to respond to threats more effectively, particularly in the context of growing Russian aggression in Eastern Europe.
The Trinity House Agreement will also deliver a substantial boost to the UK economy, paving the way for the construction of a new artillery gun barrel manufacturing facility in the UK. The factory, operated by German defence company Rheinmetall, will create more than 400 jobs and bring nearly half a billion pounds to the British economy over the next decade. British steel, produced by Sheffield Forgemasters, will be used in the production of these gun barrels, marking the first time in ten years that the UK has manufactured artillery components domestically.
The agreement also focuses on enhancing cooperation in other areas, such as the production of Boxer armoured vehicles and the development of land-based drones. This collaboration will see both nations’ armies train and exercise together, particularly along NATO’s Eastern Flank, helping to develop new military strategies and strengthen European defence capabilities.
In addition to land-based cooperation, the Trinity House Agreement includes provisions to protect critical underwater infrastructure in the North Sea. The UK and Germany will work together to enhance surveillance and detection of adversary activity, particularly around seabed cables, which are essential for communications and energy security.
German aircraft will also periodically operate out of RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland to help secure the North Atlantic as part of the agreement. These deployments will bolster NATO’s surveillance and defence capabilities in the region.
The agreement includes further collaboration on drone technology, with plans to develop drones that can operate alongside fighter jets, as well as unmanned maritime systems to improve naval operations. Both nations will also cooperate on integrating air defence systems to better protect European airspace from long-range missile threats, building on agreements made at recent NATO Defence Ministers meetings.
The Trinity House Agreement not only strengthens the defence ties between the UK and Germany but also delivers on a long-term commitment to support Ukraine. The UK and Germany will jointly work on modernising German Sea King helicopters with advanced missile systems, and explore additional capability coalitions to further enhance Ukraine’s military capabilities.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:
“The Trinity House Agreement 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 defence industrial bases.
This landmark agreement delivers on the Government’s manifesto commitment to strike a new defence relationship with Germany – less than four months since winning the election in July – and we will build on this new cooperation in the months and years ahead.
I pay tribute to our negotiating teams who have worked hard at pace to deliver this.”
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said:
“The UK and Germany are moving closer together. With projects across the air, land, sea, and cyber domains, we will jointly increase our defence capabilities, thereby strengthening the European pillar within NATO. We can only strengthen our ability to act together. This is why our cooperation projects are open to other partners.
We must not take security in Europe for granted. Russia is waging war against Ukraine, it is increasing its weapons production immensely and has repeatedly launched hybrid attacks on our partners in Eastern Europe.
With the Trinity House Agreement, we are showing that the NATO Allies have recognised what these times require and are determined to improve their deterrence and defence capabilities. As it lays the foundation for future projects, the Trinity House Agreement is an important contribution to this. It is particularly important to me that we cooperate even more closely to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank and to close critical capability gaps, for instance in the field of long-range strike weapons.”
Armin Papperger, CEO and Chairman of Rheinmetall AG commented that:
“Rheinmetall’s investment in the gun hall reflects a forward-looking approach to innovation, collaboration, and national defence. It ensures the UK remains a leader in developing and manufacturing defence technologies that safeguard both national and global security.”
Gary Nutter, Chief Executive Officer at Sheffield Forgemasters, said:
“I am delighted to confirm that Sheffield Forgemasters will reinstate gun barrels manufacture after a 20-year hiatus, to supply large-calibre gun-barrels to Germany’s Rheinmetall AG, servicing UK defence contracts and exports.”
Surely this duplicates with FC/ASW?
The only way a long range strike improvement on SS could be different is if it is ground launched, and then the Precision Strike Missile from M270 already fulfils that capability.
So what is this missile?
PSM and Storm Shadow have ranges of @300 miles. The cruise missile variant of FCASW will presumably have a range at least as great as Scalp Naval- 750+ miles from surface launch. Is this joint venture something with even greater range? I can see why Germany would want the ability to hit targets deep inside Russia to deter the kind of attacks inflicted on Ukraine. 1000 miles +? Ballistic rather than cruise?
I was just going to comment on this. Is this really necessary with our stretched budget? We have Storm Shadow. We have TLAM. We are developing FC/ASW. The British Army has an ongoing program and need to by MLRS PSMs to equip the expanding Deep Fires capability. The budget is overstretched. The RFA is falling apart. The army has 14 SPG left. There are a whole range of urgent fixes needed across defence. But, it seems Labour need more politics and the need to be closer again to Germany ( which was always the case both before and after Brexit.)… Read more »
This is ELSA( European Long Range Strike Approach (ELSA) initiative) +1000km deep strike precision missile launched from land, unclear if there will be an air launched variant.
This is lead by Germany to which initially joined the programme Italy and Poland . Later came France and now arrived UK and Sweden.
So why isn’t FC/ASW a 1000 mile missile?
Why do we need two big cruise missiles?
What is the purpose of Britain having such a missile, when we are so far from Europe and other countries need the capability more?
Will Germany be able to veto foreign sales & dictate to third parties how the weapon is used? UK has lost export sales due to German politics.