I recognise the significant contribution that non-EU NATO Allies make to European defence and security, including the United Kingdom, Türkiye, Norway and Canada. As NATO Allies, we share responsibility for collective defence and Euro-Atlantic security, providing substantial military capabilities, operational expertise and leadership that underpin the Alliance's deterrence and defence posture. The UK works closely with other non-EU NATO Allies to strengthen NATO's collective capability and readiness, including through major bilateral partnerships such as the UK-Norway Lunna House Agreement, which deepens defence cooperation and is supporting the delivery of a joint Type 26 frigate programme.

The UK engages regularly with NATO and EU partners to promote cooperation that complements NATO and enables non-EU NATO Allies to contribute fully to fundamental Euro-Atlantic security.

Through the Defence Investment Plan, the UK will strengthen its global leadership, and we will work with our allies and partners to deliver our commitments. The plan confirms existing industrial partnerships and provides new opportunities to collaboratively develop the next generation of capabilities.

On 6 July 2026, the UK, the Netherlands, Finland, and Poland reiterated our shared commitment to strengthening defence financing through the establishment of a Multilateral Defence Mechanism (MDM). As part of this commitment, the Defence Investment Plan includes £400 million towards the UK's contribution to the MDM.

This independent international financial institution will address our collective challenges in defence procurement by aggregating demand through procurement to achieve better value for money. It will lend to members for joint procurement, stockpiling on members' behalf, and supply chain finance to improve capability, interoperability, and value for money.

We continue to work with close allies to move quickly to formal Treaty negotiations, respecting individual members' ratification processes, while maintaining the shared ambition of setting up the MDM by 2027.

The Ministry of Defence is working closely with HM Treasury and like-minded NATO allies on the establishment of a Multilateral Defence Mechanism.

This independent international financial institution will help member countries improve capability, interoperability and value for money, while giving industry greater demand certainty.

The Government also expects the UK defence sector, including SMEs, to be well placed to benefit, including through support for supply chains, capacity expansion, and firms with less access to finance, strengthening UK and allied industrial capability while supporting growth, resilience, and readiness across the defence sector.

The Ministry of Defence is working closely with HM Treasury and with Finland, Netherlands, Poland and other like-minded NATO allies on the establishment of a Multilateral Defence Mechanism (MDM). The Defence Investment Plan includes £400 million towards the UK’s contribution to the MDM.

This independent international financial institution will address our collective challenges in defence procurement by aggregating demand through procurement to achieve better value for money. It will lend to members for joint procurement, stockpiling on members' behalf, and supply chain finance. This mechanism will help member countries improve capability, interoperability and value for money, while giving industry greater demand certainty.

Work is underway to further progress the MDM which would include building on technical development and move to the next phase of mechanism design and development.

The Strategic Defence Review and Defence Diplomacy Strategy set out the importance of maintaining and deepening our alliances and partnerships. The Ministry of Defence is taking a more deliberate, targeted and coherent approach to its international relationships with a range of allies and partners, enabling us to build world-beating capabilities, rally international support to our priorities, pursue export opportunities and strengthen our hand in competition with adversaries.

In the Middle East, our relationships are enabled through our persistent military footprint in the region, temporary deployments, security assurances, and increased joint capability development. We also advocate for increased burden sharing and intelligence exchanges with regional partners.

In the Indo-Pacific, we are focusing on capability and technology collaboration, military training and exercises, and intelligence sharing with key partners, including making the most of our membership of the Five Power Defence Arrangements, while seeking to maintain a persistent military presence.

In Africa, our support to partners promotes peace and stability and addresses upstream threats to UK and our allies’ interests. This includes deployments in Kenya and Somalia, support to UN missions and episodic tri-service deployments across the continent to conduct joint training and capability development activity.

In South America, we maintain our relationships with regional partners and allies through military co-operation and a persistent military forward presence. We have permanent deployments in the South Atlantic through British Forces South Atlantic Islands where we have two overseas bases (in the Falkland Islands and Ascension).

The Strategic Defence Review and Defence Diplomacy Strategy set out the importance of maintaining and deepening our alliances and partnerships. The Ministry of Defence is taking a more deliberate, targeted and coherent approach to its international relationships with a range of allies and partners, enabling us to build world-beating capabilities, rally international support to our priorities, pursue export opportunities and strengthen our hand in competition with adversaries.

In the Middle East, our relationships are enabled through our persistent military footprint in the region, temporary deployments, security assurances, and increased joint capability development. We also advocate for increased burden sharing and intelligence exchanges with regional partners.

In the Indo-Pacific, we are focusing on capability and technology collaboration, military training and exercises, and intelligence sharing with key partners, including making the most of our membership of the Five Power Defence Arrangements, while seeking to maintain a persistent military presence.

In Africa, our support to partners promotes peace and stability and addresses upstream threats to UK and our allies’ interests. This includes deployments in Kenya and Somalia, support to UN missions and episodic tri-service deployments across the continent to conduct joint training and capability development activity.

In South America, we maintain our relationships with regional partners and allies through military co-operation and a persistent military forward presence. We have permanent deployments in the South Atlantic through British Forces South Atlantic Islands where we have two overseas bases (in the Falkland Islands and Ascension).

The Strategic Defence Review and Defence Diplomacy Strategy set out the importance of maintaining and deepening our alliances and partnerships. The Ministry of Defence is taking a more deliberate, targeted and coherent approach to its international relationships with a range of allies and partners, enabling us to build world-beating capabilities, rally international support to our priorities, pursue export opportunities and strengthen our hand in competition with adversaries.

In the Middle East, our relationships are enabled through our persistent military footprint in the region, temporary deployments, security assurances, and increased joint capability development. We also advocate for increased burden sharing and intelligence exchanges with regional partners.

In the Indo-Pacific, we are focusing on capability and technology collaboration, military training and exercises, and intelligence sharing with key partners, including making the most of our membership of the Five Power Defence Arrangements, while seeking to maintain a persistent military presence.

In Africa, our support to partners promotes peace and stability and addresses upstream threats to UK and our allies’ interests. This includes deployments in Kenya and Somalia, support to UN missions and episodic tri-service deployments across the continent to conduct joint training and capability development activity.

In South America, we maintain our relationships with regional partners and allies through military co-operation and a persistent military forward presence. We have permanent deployments in the South Atlantic through British Forces South Atlantic Islands where we have two overseas bases (in the Falkland Islands and Ascension).

The Strategic Defence Review and Defence Diplomacy Strategy set out the importance of maintaining and deepening our alliances and partnerships. The Ministry of Defence is taking a more deliberate, targeted and coherent approach to its international relationships with a range of allies and partners, enabling us to build world-beating capabilities, rally international support to our priorities, pursue export opportunities and strengthen our hand in competition with adversaries.

In the Middle East, our relationships are enabled through our persistent military footprint in the region, temporary deployments, security assurances, and increased joint capability development. We also advocate for increased burden sharing and intelligence exchanges with regional partners.

In the Indo-Pacific, we are focusing on capability and technology collaboration, military training and exercises, and intelligence sharing with key partners, including making the most of our membership of the Five Power Defence Arrangements, while seeking to maintain a persistent military presence.

In Africa, our support to partners promotes peace and stability and addresses upstream threats to UK and our allies’ interests. This includes deployments in Kenya and Somalia, support to UN missions and episodic tri-service deployments across the continent to conduct joint training and capability development activity.

In South America, we maintain our relationships with regional partners and allies through military co-operation and a persistent military forward presence. We have permanent deployments in the South Atlantic through British Forces South Atlantic Islands where we have two overseas bases (in the Falkland Islands and Ascension).

The Government is committed to implementing the Strategic Defence Review to deliver a more integrated, innovative and technologically advanced force, working closely with Allies and partners to strengthen collective security and maintain our competitive edge. The Defence Investment Plan delivers this vision, giving our service personnel the capabilities they need to deter and fight, better reflecting the way that war is waged today and enabling Defence to respond effectively to evolving threats while reinforcing deterrence alongside like-minded nations.

Through NATO, AUKUS, the Joint Expeditionary Force and other partnerships, the UK is collaborating on the development and adoption of advanced capabilities.

Examples include Artificial Intelligence, which will continue to be central to Defence's international collaboration including through AUKUS and GCAP; autonomous mine hunting capabilities, jointly procured with France; and the development of amphibious transport ships optimised for hybrid drone warfare with the Netherlands.

In May last year, the UK agreed a Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) with the European Union, as part of this Government’s commitment to strengthening European security, supporting economic growth and reinforcing NATO.

The UK wants to enable the efficient movement of military personnel and equipment across Europe in support of NATO’s plans and recognises that this is a shared objective with the EU. Closer cooperation on military mobility benefits both the UK and our European partners by helping forces move more quickly and effectively across the continent, strengthening collective deterrence and supporting European security.

Under the SDP, this includes cooperation on military mobility. In that context, the UK is progressing its applications to participate in the PESCO Military Mobility project and the Network of Logistic Hubs. We are also maintaining a dialogue with EU partners on the Military Mobility Package, including through recent senior-level discussions in Brussels on the UK’s involvement in practical terms.

The Uncrewed Systems Centre has evolved from the UK's leadership of the 21-nation Drone Capability Coalition for Ukraine and is international by design. Announcements on international partnerships will be made in the usual way.

The UK-Israel military cooperation agreement, which was signed in December 2020, remains extant.