The UK and Germany will step up joint efforts to track Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic, as part of a deepening defence partnership between the two NATO allies.
The announcement follows the Trinity House Agreement, signed last year to strengthen bilateral cooperation across defence, cyber security, and intelligence sharing.
A German Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft will visit RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland in the coming months, the first such deployment, ahead of joint operations with the Royal Air Force. The aircraft will operate alongside Britain’s fleet of nine Poseidon patrol planes to boost NATO’s maritime surveillance and deterrence capabilities.
German aircrews have previously joined NATO’s Baltic Sentry missions from the Scottish base, but the latest initiative marks an expansion of cooperation into North Atlantic patrols, an area of increasing strategic concern for the Alliance.
Cyber Security Partnership Strengthened
London and Berlin have also pledged closer collaboration on cyber defence, enabling allies to share data, intelligence, and operational tools more securely.
The partnership includes the development of a secure cloud network, designed to allow real-time information exchange while defending against cyber threats from hostile states.
‘Cornerstone of European Security’
Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK-German partnership demonstrates unity and resolve in the face of growing security challenges.
“A year on from the Trinity House Agreement, the UK and Germany are working closer than ever to keep our two countries and Europe safe,” he said.
“Together we’re strengthening NATO, boosting our cyber defences, and ensuring our armed forces can operate side by side with ease, from patrolling the skies over Scotland to hunting Russian subs in the North Atlantic.”
He added that the collaboration remains a “cornerstone of European security”, underlining NATO’s ability to respond collectively to aggression.
