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UK and Germany plan joint testing and deployment of military AI
British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting says London and Berlin will test, develop and eventually deploy artificial intelligence in their armed forces together. No specific systems, programmes or budgets have been announced yet.
The UK and Germany plan to test, build and eventually deploy artificial intelligence in their armed forces together. British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting announced the plan in an article published in the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
What was announced
Streeting published the piece ahead of talks in Berlin on Monday with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius. According to Euronews, the two countries will expand their existing joint cybersecurity project, Cyber Lighthouse, to cover artificial intelligence as well.
The minister wrote that by jointly testing, developing and ultimately introducing AI in their armed forces, the two countries will deepen their cooperation and keep pace with those who seek to harm them.
"Through joint testing, development and ultimately the introduction of AI in our armed forces, we will deepen our cooperation and keep pace with those who seek to harm us," - Wes Streeting, British Defence Secretary (from an article in FAZ, quoted by Euronews)
No specifics yet
The announcement sets a direction rather than a plan. According to Euronews, government and industry representatives from both countries are due to meet in spring 2027 to work out how it will be carried out. No specific AI systems, programmes or amounts have been named.
That means it is unclear what tasks the cooperation will cover, who will be responsible for what, or which testing standards will be adopted. Whether money and projects follow the declaration will only become clear at next year's meeting.
Defence industry in the background
Streeting said German companies have committed £800 million to the UK defence sector since the two countries signed a defence pact in 2024. Euronews points to Munich-based Helsing as an example, which opened a factory in Plymouth last year.
The plant builds AI-powered underwater gliders designed to track hostile submarines. It is the only concrete example of AI use in defence that appears in the report.
Regulatory backdrop
Euronews notes that AI is playing a growing role in warfare. The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that an arms race is already under way and has called for legally binding rules on autonomous weapon systems.
For Polish readers, it is a signal that two large European NATO members want to approach the testing and deployment of military AI together. Much depends on whether the announcement turns into concrete programmes after the meeting planned for spring 2027.
