The UK and Italy have agreed to further strengthen military
collaboration as Defence Ministers and Guido Crosetto signed a new Joint-Statement of
Intent on bilateral defence co-operation.
The agreement was signed on Thursday following a bilateral
meeting and will see deeper cooperation and collaboration across
military operations, particularly in the space and cyber domains.
The ability of the UK and Italian armed forces to operate
together and develop shared capabilities to minimise costs is
also part of the agreement.
During a bilateral meeting, Ministers discussed the Russia’s
illegal invasion of Ukraine, as well as the security situation in
Libya and ongoing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and
Western Balkans.
Defence Secretary said:
Through this new defence agreement with Italy, our long-standing
ally and friend, we are deepening our defence collaboration at a
vital time for security across Europe and the wider world.
Working together as NATO allies to support Ukraine, and also on
joint projects including the Global Combat Air Programme, we
continue to promote our collective industries and increase our
capabilities.
The Defence Ministers were joined by UK and Italian Foreign and
International Trade Ministers at the Pontignano Conference – the
biggest and longest-running UK-Italian diplomatic event, taking
place on an annual basis.
The meeting of the UK and Italian Defence Secretaries was the
first since the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) agreement - a
trilateral project between the UK, Italy, and Japan, which was
announced by the Prime Minister in December and will deliver the
next phase of a combat air fighter jet development.
Due to enter service by 2035, the ambition is for a
next-generation jet fighter, enhanced by a network of
capabilities such as uncrewed aircraft, sensors, weapons and
advanced data systems. Collaboration among the three advanced
industrial nations allows sharing of advanced technologies to get
the best military capabilities, shares the cost of development as
we modernise our capabilities and will strengthen the industrial
base in each country.
As part of the trip, the UK Defence Secretary also visited the
Leonardo’s aircraft division in Turin, where he met the company’s
CEO and discussed the work on GCAP.
