Strengthening Franco-British Defence Industrial Cooperation

On the occasion of the UK–France Summit held on 10 July 2025 and co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, GIFAS (Groupement des Industries Françaises Aéronautiques et Spatiales) and its UK counterpart ADS (Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space Group) have published a joint statement supporting the renewal of the Lancaster House Treaties.

This summit marks an important milestone in reinforcing the bilateral relationship between France and the United Kingdom, particularly in the fields of defence and aerospace. Signed by the Chief Executives of GIFAS and ADS, the joint statement welcomes the commitment from both governments to bring their defence industries closer than ever through a new “Entente industrielle.”

In an increasingly complex and unstable strategic environment, this renewed cooperation aims to:

• deepen bilateral industrial ties;
• strengthen supply chain resilience;
• support joint programmes in strategic areas such as next-generation complex weapons (deep strike, air defence, C-UAS), artificial intelligence, cyber, and space;
• evolve platforms such as the A400M into a true multi-mission capability.

Since the previous bilateral summit, GIFAS and ADS have actively promoted direct industry-to-industry dialogue through a series of joint workshops held in Paris and London. These discussions have laid the foundation for mutual trust and a shared ambition, which both associations are committed to accelerating.

GIFAS and ADS reaffirm their support for the strategic vision set out by their respective governments and remain fully committed to fostering joint innovation, industrial cooperation, and to being key enablers of security, resilience, and sustainable growth across Europe.

📄 Download the ADS–GIFAS Joint Statement