- Germany and the UK signed a landmark defense pact this week.
- As part of the agreement, German submarine-hunting aircraft will be based in the UK.
- The aircraft will fly North Atlantic patrols to counter the growing Russian submarine threat.
German submarine-hunting aircraft will be based in the UK and will fly patrols over the North Atlantic amid a rise in Russian underwater military activity in the area.
Germany and the UK signed a landmark defense pact Wednesday that aims to increase cooperation and development between the two NATO allies on a range of issues, including the production of long-range weapons, drones, and other military endeavors.
As part of the new agreement, known as the Trinity House Agreement, German P-8 Poseidon aircraft will periodically operate out of Lossiemouth, a Royal Air Force base in Scotland, to conduct patrols over the North Atlantic, according to a UK government statement.
The P-8, the successor to the P-3 Orion, is a multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft manufactured by Boeing and developed for the US Navy. The plane can be armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles and carry out anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol and reconnaissance missions.
Several countries, including a number of NATO allies, operate the P-8, a derivative of the civilian 737. The UK has nine Poseidon aircraft that are based in Lossiemouth, and Germany has eight on order with deliveries expected between 2024 and 2028. It’s unclear when, exactly, the German planes will start flying out of Scotland.
The Trinity pact comes amid a rise in Russian submarine and underwater activity, a development that has long concerned NATO. Adm. Tony Radakin, the head of the UK’s military, told a British newspaper last year that there has been “a phenomenal increase” in such activity over the last two decades.
And the top US general in Europe, Gen. Christopher Cavoli, said last year that “the Russians have been more active than we’ve seen them in years” in the Atlantic.
Earlier this year, one of Russia’s most advanced subs, the nuclear-powered Yasen-class submarine Kazan, showed up off the coast of Cuba before taking part in military exercises in the area. US and NATO officials have expressed concern over this vessel and similar ones in the class.
The UK government said the Trinity pact will also see cooperation to protect critical underwater infrastructure, such as cables in the North Sea, including “exploring new offboard undersea surveillance capabilities to improve detection of adversary activity.”
NATO has detected an uptick in threats to undersea infrastructure, including gas pipelines and internet cables, since the Ukraine war started. The military alliance has warned that Russia is developing capabilities that could be used for underwater combat.
The UK government said the Trinity pact “will strengthen national security and economic growth in the face of growing Russian aggression and increasing threats.”
“We must not take security in Europe for granted,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said of the new Trinity pact, noting that, as Russia continues to wage war against Ukraine, Moscow is also boosting its weapons production and has repeatedly launched hybrid attacks across Eastern Europe.
