Reference News Network October 25 report. According to the website of German Television One on October 23, the British and German armies will strengthen cooperation in the future to detect Russian submarines. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius of Germany and Defense Minister John Healey of the United Kingdom announced the establishment of a new partnership, through joint patrol flights in the North Sea and the North Atlantic, to strengthen the protection of strategically important waters.
Healey said: "We have jointly confirmed that in the future, British and German crews will fly the P-8 'Poseidon' maritime patrol aircraft together to track Russian submarines. They will jointly carry out missions from the Lossiemouth base to protect European security and NATO."
To implement this plan, the German Federal Armed Forces will put into use the new P-8 'Poseidon' maritime patrol aircraft. Pistorius said that Germany has ordered eight of these aircraft from American manufacturer Boeing. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered in November.
According to the cooperation arrangement, these aircraft will also take off from the Lossiemouth military base in Scotland. Pistorius said that this will significantly increase the operational range. The mission objective is Russian nuclear submarines that often pass through the Arctic to enter the North Atlantic and operate in international waters. He said, "The key is to know their location and movements. With the P-8 'Poseidon', we can achieve this goal."
During their visit to this airbase located in northeastern Scotland, the two defense ministers emphasized that these aircraft are also planned to be used to protect critical infrastructure - such as energy supply and data transmission facilities. Healey said that both sides will also establish a new cyber defense partnership, "to protect our networks from daily attacks and intrusions". Recently, there have been frequent incidents of damage to undersea cables, some of which may have been caused by deliberate sabotage.
These aircraft are equipped with precision electronic equipment. They can deploy sonobuoys, as well as monitor surface conditions and the movement of ships. When there is an emergency at sea, they can serve as rescue aircraft and drop rescue supplies carried by the aircraft for those in distress.
A year ago, Germany and the United Kingdom signed the "Trinity Defense Agreement" to deepen cooperation on security matters. These two NATO partner countries are strengthening cooperation to deter Russia. (Translation/ Jiao Yu)
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7565030125956301347/
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