Britain and France joined forces with fresh zeal as they unveiled their latest Innovation and Technology Partnership (ITP) plans. This new multi-million pound initiative in European defence research collaboration will concentrate on materials and components for missiles and develop on UK’s Defence Technology Centre concept.

It will be jointly funded by the British (£2.5M/pa) and French governments (E3.5M/pa) and an industry/academia conglomerate steered by MBDA (which hopes to equal the combined funds of the two governments). The three-year ITP programme (extendable to five years) hopes to lay the grounds for more such collaborative work and a future European guided weapon capability. It plans to create the technological base and develop a mutual understanding of defence strategies of the nations involved.

A joint declaration from Baroness Taylor, the Minister for Defence Equipment and Support and Francois Lureau, the French National Armaments Director, read: “This Innovation and Technology Partnership is a tangible example of European cooperation that will help ensure that both the UK’s and the French armed forces will continue to have access to vital technology, and maximises the benefit of investment from the British and French Governments and from industry.”

This statement came after the Franco British High Level Working Group, a joint government/industry forum for fostering cooperation in armament programmes, met to put forward this agenda. As a part of this agenda, the ITP hopes to cater to the common research requirements of UK and France for missile technology, capability and future acquisitions. The various programmes of this plan will be monitored by a joint group constituted by government experts of both countries. The programme also hopes to include and better utilise innovation from Small and Medium Enterprises and Universities and hence foster improved co-ordination between industry and government. Its ultimate aim would be to create a new business paradigm for defence research.