The UK and France will sign new defence and security cooperation treaties that include issues on military planes and aircraft carriers at a summit in London today, UK Prime Minister David Cameron has said.
The proposed deal is to allow the two nuclear powers to remain global players, and work together to enhance capabilities and save money.
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UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox said the new treaties would strengthen relationships from joint training to the acquisition of equipment, and technology and information sharing.
UK and French pilots will be able to train on each others’ aircraft carriers, the Charles de Gaulle and the future Queen Elizabeth, by 2016-2020 to improve interoperability, according to Agence France Presse.
The security cooperation will also be extended on the A400M transport aircraft and on aircraft carriers.
The UK and France together account for 50% of Europe’s operational military capability, 45% of its defence spending and 70% of the research and development crucial to fight wars of the future.
The treaties come against the backdrop of a defence review by the coalition government that described France as one of the UK’s main strategic partners.
