Britain and Germany sign defense pact to counter Russia's growing threat

LONDON (AP) — German submarine-hunting planes will patrol the North Atlantic from a base in Scotland under a new Britain-Germany defense pact sealed in response to the growing threat from Russia.

Defense ministers from Britain and Germany signed the agreement in London on Wednesday in what officials call the first such defense pact between the two NATO member countries to boost European security amid rising Russian aggression.

The deal comes as the war launched by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 grinds on, and with Ukraine and its European allies anxious about the outcome of November's U.S. presidential election.

U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said the need for Europe to bolster its own security, and for the U.K. to play a bigger role in NATO, “is the driving force behind our NATO-first U.K. defense strategy, (and) behind our reset of U.K. relations with Europe.”

“In a more dangerous world, allies are our strategic strength and we must do more together," Healey said at a news conference in London alongside German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

Under the deal, German submarine hunter aircraft are expected to operate “periodically” from a Scottish military base to patrol the North Atlantic. The allies will work closer together to protect vital underwater cables in the North Sea.

The two countries say they will also cooperate to prioritize developing long-range strike weapons that can travel farther than the U.K.'s existing Storm Shadow missiles. German defense giant Rheinmetall is also expected to open a factory producing artillery gun barrels using British steel.

Officials say the pact will mean British and German forces committed to NATO in Estonia and Lithuania will exercise and operate together more closely, ensuring that “land forces on NATO’s eastern flank remain a strong deterrent and are ready to fight and win if required.”

Britain and Germany are also expected to collaborate on developing new land-based and aerial drones.

“We must not take security in Europe for granted,'' Pistorius said. “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 recognized what these times require and are determined to improve their deterrence and defense capabilities.”