The United Kingdom and Germany signed their first bilateral defense treaty since World War II on Thursday, pledging mutual military assistance and deeper defense cooperation.
The Kensington Treaty, signed by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London, includes a joint plan to develop a Deep Precision Strike weapon with a 2,000-kilometer range within the next decade.
The British government described the future weapon as “among the most advanced systems” it has ever produced.
“The rapid development of this capability will safeguard the British public and reinforce NATO deterrence, while boosting the UK and European defence sectors through significant industrial investment,” U.K. said in a statement.
The treaty also outlines efforts to “boost” export sales of Boxer armored vehicles and Eurofighter Typhoon fourth-generation fighter jets, and includes provisions to address illegal migration.
Starmer called the treaty a “historic document which really measures just how close our countries are and our ambition for the future.”
Merz said he was “surprised” to discover it is the first such agreement since World War II and said: “We had you in the European Union and we thought that was enough, but we are now learning that it’s not enough so we have to do more on that.”
The pact comes as Europe faces Russian aggression and questions about U.S. defense commitments.
