UK and Germany to Sign Defense Treaty, Pledge Joint Missile Development and Expanded Arms Exports

The UK said the treaty provisions will reinforce NATO deterrence and boost European defense.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at a hotel prior to an E3 meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June, 24, 2025. Kin Cheung/PA

The UK and Germany will sign a defense cooperation treaty, as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrives in London on his first official visit to the UK since taking office in May.

The new treaty builds on last year’s agreement between the two nations to boost defense exports, including the UK’s Boxer armored vehicles and Typhoon jets. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his German counterpart are also set to commit to developing in the next decade a long-range, advanced missile system with a range of more than 1,200 miles.