Britain and France strike deal to develop missiles, move on from subs row

Britain and France have signed a deal to jointly develop new cruise and anti-ship missiles after months of cross-Channel defence tensions over a submarine deal with Australia.

France and UK trialling their Sea-Venom-ANL-missile © DGA

Paris and London “have confirmed the launch of the preparation works for the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon,” European missile manufacturer MBDA said in a statement on Friday.

Both Britain’s Defence Equipment and Support and France’s DGA procurement agency confirmed the three-year contract, which MBDA said aimed to develop weapons “to be fielded at the end of the decade”.

MBDA’s new weapons, a subsonic stealth variant and a “highly manoeuvrable” supersonic version, would replace existing missiles in use by the two countries’ navies and air forces.

An artist's depiction of the hypersonic multi-role cruise missile concept study, known as Perseus. Alongside it are its two effectors which have been released from the lateral bays of the parent missile. © MBDA

AUKUS row

The two countries had been at loggerheads on defence issues since last year, when Britain and the US struck a deal to produce nuclear-powered submarines for Australia as Canberra tore up an existing contract with France.

French Defence Minister Florence Parly said in October that the missile project, first launched in 2017, was “in difficulties, given the state of our relations with the UK”.

• Sinking of submarine deal leaves Franco-US friendship in tatters

But joint British-French missiles have been on the cards since then president Nicolas Sarkozy and prime minister David Cameron signed the Lancaster House treaty in 2010, solidifying close defence ties which include joint training and the joint development of complex weapons.

Britain and France account for 60 per cent of European defence spending and 80 per cent of defence research and development outlays between them, far outstripping Germany and keeping London a key partner for Paris even after its departure from the European Union.

(with Reuters)