image: © Sashkinw | iStock

The meeting was held on 15 October 2026 and brought together senior government officials, military leaders and industry representatives to discuss joint defence programmes, emerging technologies and shared security priorities.

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard hosted German State Secretary for Armament, Innovation and Cyber Jens Plötner at the latest meeting of the UK-Germany Ministerial Group on Equipment and Capability Cooperation (MECC).

The discussions build on the Trinity House Agreement, signed in October 2024, which established plans for closer cooperation between the two countries across air, land, maritime, cyber and space capabilities.

The agreement forms part of the Kensington Treaty, signed in July 2025, which provides a strategic framework for the UK-Germany relationship.

Both countries are working to turn these commitments into practical defence projects, strengthen their industrial bases and improve their ability to respond to evolving security threats.

One of the key programmes discussed was Deep Precision Strike, a joint UK-Germany initiative aimed at developing long-range strike capabilities.

The programme reflects both nations’ efforts to address important military capability gaps and strengthen NATO’s deterrence against potential threats.

Officials also reviewed progress on wider collaborative projects, with an emphasis on developing new technologies and creating opportunities for closer cooperation between British and German defence companies.

The talks followed the Prime Minister’s visit to Berlin on 8 October, where the UK and Germany agreed to deepen cooperation in space and establish a new Counter-Hybrid Partnership.

The partnership is intended to strengthen resilience against hybrid threats, which can include cyberattacks, disinformation and other activities designed to undermine national security without triggering conventional military conflict.

Closer cooperation in these areas is expected to support both countries’ wider efforts to protect critical infrastructure and strengthen European security.

Following the MECC meeting, Pollard and Plötner attended a panel discussion at the German Embassy in London.

The event brought together policymakers and industry figures to assess progress and identify practical ways to develop the bilateral defence partnership. Participants included Dr Philipp Kerth, co-founder and chief executive of German defence technology company Hypersonica, and Alex Zino, Rolls-Royce’s director of business development and future programmes.

The discussions form part of wider UK-German engagement ahead of the EU-UK summit.

As both countries look to strengthen NATO’s readiness and deterrence, closer industrial cooperation is expected to play an important role in developing modern defence capabilities, supporting innovation and building a more resilient Euro-Atlantic security partnership.