Germany’s military air force, the Luftwaffe, will operate from a base in north-east Scotland for the first time under a defence deal struck by the Labour government.
RAF Lossiemouth in Moray will soon host German submarine patrol planes, which will fly over the North Atlantic to help protect against threats from Russia.
The move comes as part of the new Trinity House Agreement, one of the biggest steps yet in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s effort to forge closer relationships with the UK’s allies in Europe.
An MoD spokesperson said Germany would join the US as the only foreign countries with military aircraft based on UK soil – though the P-8 Poseidon maritime reconnaisance planes would only operate from Scotland ‘periodically’.
The Agreement will also mean the German arms giant Rheinmetall will use British steel to manufacture artillery gun barrels in a new UK factory.
Sheffield Forgemasters will produce the metal for the equipment – the first to be made here for a decade – with the first expected to roll off the line in 2027.
Defence Secretary John Healey will sign the deal alongside his German counterpart Boris Pistorius on Wednesday.
It is understood to be the first pillar in a wider treaty between the two countries, which will reach beyond matters of defence and security.
Healey described the agreement as ‘a milestone moment in our relationship with Germany and a major strengthening of Europe’s security’.
Paying tribute to the government’s negotiating teams, he said: ‘This landmark agreement delivers on the government’s manifesto commitment to strike a new defence relationship with Germany – less than four months since winning the election in July – and we will build on this new cooperation in the months and years ahead.’
Pistorius added: ‘We must not take security in Europe for granted.
‘Russia is waging war against Ukraine, it is increasing its weapons production immensely and has repeatedly launched hybrid attacks on our partners in Eastern Europe.
‘With the Trinity House Agreement, we are showing that the NATO Allies have recognised what these times require and are determined to improve their deterrence and defence capabilities.’
The UK and Germany are the two biggest defence spenders in Europe.
Among the other measures included in the agreement is a commitment to work jointly on developing new ‘deep strike weapons’ that are more precise with a longer range than the UK’s existing Storm Shadow missiles.
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