UK to Restart Artillery Gun Production After 10 Years, Develop New Strike Weapons in Germany Defense Deal

The United Kingdom is set to manufacture artillery gun barrels for the first time in 10 years, and develop new long-range strike weapons, as part of a new defense agreement with Germany.

The deal, known as the Trinity House Agreement, will be signed in London today by UK Defence Secretary John Healey MP and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

This UK-Germany defense collaboration includes the establishment of a new factory by Rheinmetall, a German defense contractor. The factory will support over 400 jobs and contribute nearly half a billion pounds to the UK economy over the next decade. It will rely on British steel produced by Sheffield Forgemasters, which will resume gun barrel production after a 20-year hiatus.

The Trinity House Agreement marks the first defense partnership of its kind between the two nations. It will enhance cooperation across multiple military domains, including land, sea, air, space, and cyber. This includes working jointly to rapidly develop brand-new extended deep strike weapons that can travel further with more precision than current systems, including Storm Shadow. It also aims to improve defense capabilities such as Boxer armored vehicles and Sting Ray torpedoes.

The agreement will also strengthen the UK’s Eastern Flank defenses, with the UK and German armies conducting joint exercises to improve their readiness. Further collaboration will focus on protecting critical underwater infrastructure in the North Sea and advancing drones and uncrewed air systems for both air and maritime operations.

In addition to these initiatives, German P8 aircraft will periodically operate from Lossiemouth, Scotland, to help safeguard the North Atlantic. The agreement also includes efforts to enhance Ukraine’s defense capabilities, including equipping German Sea King helicopters with modern missile systems.

This deal is the first step in a broader UK-Germany treaty, reinforcing national security and economic growth while resetting relations with European allies. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Olaf Scholz had pledged this treaty earlier in August, signaling long-term cooperation between the two defense powerhouses.