Britain and Ireland sign new defence agreement

The United Kingdom and Ireland have signed a refreshed Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries, with a focus on maritime security, cyber defence and information sharing.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey and Ireland’s Minister for Defence Helen McEntee signed the updated agreement, which replaces a previous memorandum agreed in 2015.

The new framework expands cooperation across several areas, including maritime security, cyber defence, air domain awareness and joint procurement of military equipment.

Under the agreement, the UK Armed Forces and the Irish Defence Forces will increase collaboration on maritime security, including efforts to protect critical undersea infrastructure and improve responses to maritime incidents.

The two governments will also explore opportunities for joint procurement and government-to-government defence sales.

In the air and cyber domains, the memorandum provides for greater information sharing between the two countries, aimed at improving situational awareness and strengthening resilience against emerging threats.

The agreement was signed as the British Prime Minister met Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Cork for the UK–Ireland Leaders’ Summit.

Defence Secretary John Healey said the new memorandum modernises the framework for cooperation between the two countries.

“The UK and Ireland share a long history of defence cooperation — from crisis management and humanitarian operations to training, military education and staff exchanges,” he said.

“This rebooted Memorandum of Understanding modernises our framework for cooperation on areas critical to both our nations’ security, in particular to counter the growing undersea and cyber threats we share.”

Irish Defence Minister Helen McEntee said the update reflects the evolving security environment.

“It is appropriate that, after ten years, we take the opportunity to refresh our Memorandum of Understanding and provide for a particular focus in such areas as maritime, cyber defence, air information sharing and joint procurement initiatives,” she said.

The memorandum also confirms continued collaboration in areas such as United Nations peacekeeping, crisis management operations, humanitarian missions and military training exchanges.

Both governments said the updated agreement reflects the broader strengthening of relations between the UK and Ireland in recent years, while respecting the distinct defence and security policies of each country.