Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President Joe Biden agreed a number of steps to enhance “the world’s strongest bilateral defence and security partnership”, say the UK Government.

The steps agreed today between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden will help both countries respond to, and get ahead of, the evolving threats of the 21st century.

According to a news release:

“The UK and US will enhance their work to shape and secure the international order of the future, with NATO as the bedrock of our collective defence. Our two nations will work together to further strengthen and modernise NATO, and increase its common funding, so the Alliance can harness the full range of military and non-military capabilities to tackle existing and emerging threats, including malicious cyber activity and attacks that test the resilience of our societies.

The US and UK will continue to modernise and integrate our armed forces, and strengthen bilateral cooperation on next generation capabilities. The unique interoperability of the UK and US Armed Forces is demonstrated by the key role US forces are playing in the UK’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG21). Nine ships, 32 aircraft and 3,700 personnel set sail in May on the Strike Group’s seven-month maiden operational deployment around the world.

The integration of a US destroyer and Marine Corps jets into CSG21 shows our intent to further improve interoperability between NATO Allies as we jointly develop 5th generation carrier strike capability.The deployment is emblematic of how the US and UK work together to defend our shared values, uphold the rules-based international order and tackle the threats of the future.”

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

“It’s no secret that the US is our closest friend and most important defence partner. Combining the largest defence budget in the world and the largest defence budget in Europe, the US-UK alliance is a bulwark against those that aim to undermine the rules-based international order.

The extra £24 billion of UK Defence spending over the next four years means we have the resources going forward to modernise our Armed Forces and further integrate with allies so we can tackle the threats of the future together.”

You can read more here.

George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison

23 COMMENTS

  1. The UK needs to do a lot more to modernise and strengthen the few assets we have. The modest increase in defence spending is not enough. No point in building Type 26 and 31 if you can’t be bothered to fill the Mk41 vls on Tupe 26 and install decent array of offensive weapons on the 31s….

  2. They seem to have established a good personal relationship and the “Sausage War” has not sullied things, but on that subject Boris needs to tread carefully and act wisely. I accept that there is an agreement in place and we need to honour same but at the same time looking to amend things that need amending, the absurd sausage saga included. Whilst rules are rules it is ridiculous and outrageous that we cannot send British sausages to any part of the UK. There has to be a way in this age of superb technology whereby an invisible border may be set up between the ROI and NI that allows free movement but regulates trade as necessary. The EU could assist in the creation of such a structure-they only need to stop their petty bullying

    • I think people on both sides of the discussion have seen that the EU has been playing some pretty risky politics with NI. Not saying I don’t think our glorious leader did not walk strait into it by promising the earth and then rushing to sign a bad agreement.

    • 100% Cam. I try to look at things as objectively as possible despite my NI roots but there is no doubt that there is much bitterness within sections of the EU regarding Brexit,some of it perhaps understandable.However a breakdown over NI is in nobody’s interests so let us hope that a workable long term plan can be reached

  3. Acutely aware I’m always negative but why break the habit… we hear this special relationship/solidification of unity pish every 4 years. Groundhog Day.
    Until someone in this mostly one way partnership does or says something groundbreaking I will remain wound up by the absolute wankery that goes on.
    I like the Americans, they saved my plts arse on more than one occasion not that long ago. I also admire their intelligence, they’ve got us in the palm of their hand whilst our senior brass flap around with hands on 58 pattern belts round jackets trying out-‘blue sky and think’ them with Lily pad network this and hybrid fusion cyber – that.
    Same goes for Boris. If he were an officer he’d be the signals plt commander (where the infantry stick their shit, least aggressive officers).

    • I was enjoying and applauding that but half way through I just found I wasn’t understanding any of it thereafter I’m afraid, maybe it was military language or something I don’t know I’m afraid.

  4. US is definitely our most important ally but hope we’re honest with ourselves about the ‘special relationship’. Go on any US news site and you’ll never hear the phrase. The only places you’ll hear it are over here. The truth is that the US only has one ‘special relationship and that’s Israel. History should be a warning about how far we should trust the US.

    • I can assure our friends across the pond we know the relationship UK is our strongest military alliance. We have great military interaction with several other nations like Singapore, Australia, Japan and Israel too.

    • I think that many find the term ‘special relationship’ somewhat toe curling. About time it was ditched!

  5. Put bluntly, we need to increase our military spending and use it to increase our military hardware so that we are less reliant on America. America cares about America, end of. Every country America visits is ‘their most important partner’. This belittles us, one of America’s actual true allies, and probably one of the only ones to significantly support them in military action, and down plays this support we give them. I wish we had the strength to be a bit more cooler with the yanks like Germany is. This is not a swipe at the American people, nor the many good things that their country stands for, I just wish they would wake up and smell the coffee, so to speak, and appreciated the UK a bit more, rather than just seeing us as one of their many allies.
    I think us getting roped into a shooting war with China by America is the last place we want to be in. Much better for us to march to our own beat and stand where we see fit. Funnily enough, from an allies point of view, America is quite like China. I think America needs the UK much more than they realise or are letting on.

    • As an American, I think the Germans are naive to how close they are to the end of the leash. Support for Germany and their backdoor dealings with Russia is not partisan in the US. Neither political theater is flattered with it.

      • Yes I think your spot on with that Chris. Issue is though, USA has the same desire as the UK, to prevent EU getting fully United and forming Thier own armed forces, Germany is a key player in the EU so I guess America wants to keep them on side?

    • There won’t be a shooting war with China u less anyway they become so powerful and Imperialistic that they start striking out at allies like India or Japan. However that would only happen if there was a big misstep because they don’t need to if plan A continues as it is. They will increasingly frighten in theatre countries and intimidate them into acquiescence and hopefully for them becoming crony states. Then further afield increasingly in Africa and South America it will all happen gradually and western markets will (already are becoming) just a cherry for them. Merkel said today at the proposal for the G7 to offer something akin to the belt and road policy that is achieving this already that we can’t possibly afford to match it. Yes the whole G7 and others associated with it can’t possibly match China that’s the place we are at. So we all need to formulate a plan to at least compete as a group in ways we can be effective or we all end up as their vassals like it or not.

  6. For that read “Boris send an aircraft carrier the marines need it”
    Reply ” Of course Joe, anything Joe, would you like anything else Joe”?
    We should be grateful, he is the first Democrat Potus not to have gone to war in the first few months of his term.

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