Royal Air Force, Deutsche Marine aircraft will operate together from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland to defend NATO’s Eastern and Northern flanks

LONDON

Britain and Germany are deepening their defence cooperation with new joint patrols targeting Russian submarines and expanded collaboration in cybersecurity and defence technology.

On Thursday, UK Defence Secretary John Healey hosted his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, in Lossiemouth, Scotland.

"In the coming months, one of the Deutsche Marine’s P-8As will visit Lossiemouth for the first time ahead of future joint activity side-by-side with the Royal Air Force in the North Atlantic to help defend against Russian aggression," the UK government said in a statement.

The UK and Germany are "stepping up their commitment to NATO, with closer collaboration to protect the alliance’s logistics and transport networks from cyberthreats," it added.

The partnership also includes enhanced cyber and military collaboration, such as the creation of a new secure cloud network to share intelligence and defend against cyberattacks.

German companies have committed £800 million (over $1 million) in investment to the UK defence industry, a move expected to create 600 jobs and boost manufacturing capabilities, it noted.

Defence Secretary John Healey said in a statement: "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.

"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."

Signed in 2024, the Trinity House Agreement set out a vision for a deeper and more integrated UK–German defence partnership.

Joint projects include the development of a new Deep Precision Strike weapon with a range of over 2,000 kilometers, as well as agreements to expand bridge-building equipment for land operations. Anadolu Agency