Post-Brexit Defence Plans Discussed

Faced with the increasing uncertainty of what European communal security will look like after Great Britain leaves the European Community next year, the British government is taking every opportunity to strengthen existing bilateral links and forge new ones wherever possible.

On 2 August, the British Ministry of Defence announced that Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to the southern European region during meetings with his Romanian counterpart Mihai Fifor in Bucharest. They discussed existing mutual defence activity and announced their intention to step up Anglo-Romanian co-operation by signing a Memorandum of Understanding before the end of this year.

They also unveiled plans for the British Army to support a Romanian-led Multinational Brigade (South-East), which is taking part in Exercise Scorpions Fury and is part of NATO’s Forward Presence in the Black Sea, aimed at deterring aggression in the region.

Mr Williamson discussed last month’s NATO summit and defence post-Brexit in a meeting with Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă before flying to the Black Sea to meet RAF crews flying TYPHOON patrols as part of NATO’s Southern Air Policing mission.

The UK’s unwavering commitment to co-operating on European security is further evidenced by this week’s deployment of two RAF TYPHOONs from Romania to Hungary, where they are taking part in bilateral exercises with the Hungarian military.

“European security is our security and though we are leaving the EU our commitment to our allies remains steadfast. That is why we are accelerating our military collaboration with Romania, with whom we enjoy a strong relationship [….] “NATO is the cornerstone of both our nations’ security and this deployment demonstrates the alliance’s collective resolve and readiness in a world of intensifying threats,” Mr Williamson observed.