London [UK], May 15: On May 15, the British government announced that it would jointly develop a line of "deep precision strike" weapons with a range of over 2,000 km, in the context of increased military cooperation between Europe's two largest economies.
The new weapons development project builds on a commitment between Britain and Germany made last year, when the two countries signed a bilateral defense agreement and stressed the need for Europe to be able to defend itself against any risk of escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
Since the UK-Germany agreement was signed, Donald Trump was elected President of the United States and demanded that Europe take charge of its own security. Since then, European countries have been racing to find ways to boost their defense industries.
British Defence Secretary John Healey and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius will unveil a new long-range weapons project at a meeting in Berlin.
"In a more dangerous world, NATO and EU allies stand united," Healey stressed.
"This relationship will help us turn defence into an engine of growth, creating jobs, building skills and attracting investment across the UK and Germany," the British minister said in a statement.
The statement did not provide specific details on the project's timeframe or the budget for the UK-German cooperation.
Ministers are also expected to discuss joint procurement of torpedoes for maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, and announce an agreement for Germany to buy British-made military bridges.
Earlier, on May 13, Minister Healey announced new measures to enhance the capacity and opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises in the military industry, including a series of reforms to speed up the procurement process and encourage investment in emerging technologies.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
