British RAF base will now be used by German military aircraft in historic deal 80 years after the Blitz
GERMAN military aircraft will use British bases in a historic deal — 80 years after the Blitz.
The P8 Poseidon spy planes, operated by the Deutsche Marine and possibly armed with British torpedoes, will fly out of RAF Lossiemouth under the Trinity House Agreement.
They will leave the base on the Scottish coast to scour the north Atlantic for Russian subs.
Surveillance to detect threats to pipelines and internet cables is also covered.
The MoD called the accord “a fundamental shift in the UK’s relations with Germany”.
It will lead to German tank-maker Rheinmetall opening a factory in Britain.
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Supporting 400 jobs, the plant will make its first heavy artillery barrel by 2027, using steel from Sheffield Forgemasters.
German defence minister Boris Pistorius said the deal showed allies were “determined to improve deterrence and defence capabilities”.
He added: “We must not take security in Europe for granted.”
Critics warned it could hamstring Britain’s support for Ukraine — as Berlin initially banned allies giving its Leopard tanks to fight Russia.
RAF 8 to aid Kyiv
EIGHT Ukrainian pilots finished their RAF training yesterday.
It is the first step on a year-long journey to qualify as F-16 pilots.
Once they qualify as F-16s pilots, they can strike back at missiles and drones — and hit targets inside Russia.
Instructor Sqn Leader Carl Melen said: “For these Ukrainian pilots, this is their Battle of Britain moment.”
A total of 32 pilots sent by Kyiv have now been trained in Britain.