Britain and Germany plan to add military artificial intelligence (AI) to their defense cooperation, with government and industry representatives due to discuss implementation in spring 2027, UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said.
In a guest essay for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Streeting said the project would add joint AI testing and development to Cyber Lighthouse, with the eventual aim of introducing AI in both countries’ armed forces. Initial reports did not specify the AI systems or a budget.
The UK Ministry of Defence said in 2025 that Cyber Lighthouse was designed to connect the UK’s Cyber and Specialist Operations Command with Germany’s Cyber and Information Domain Service. The project was intended to support secure information exchanges while a cloud network was developed for that purpose.
The cyber effort sits within the Trinity House Agreement, signed Oct. 23, 2024. The agreement outlined planned cooperation on land forces and undersea matters, alongside work involving unmanned aerial systems and deep precision strike. Its communiqué cited security concerns heightened by Russia’s war in Ukraine as a reason for closer ties. The two governments have also held defense-industry talks to review military programs and industrial priorities.
Germany’s Defence Ministry scheduled a meeting between Streeting and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in Berlin on Nov. 2, with a joint press statement listed for 11:15 a.m. EST (16:15 UTC).
