UK And France Reaffirm Their Historic Military Ties

The heads of the RAF and the French Air Force have celebrated the close bonds between the two nations at a ceremony in Paris.

The display comes amid concerns that Brexit will affect the Anglo-French military relationship.

In January, the Prime Minister and French President agreed a range of measures to strengthen defence cooperation during a summit at Sandhurst.

But Britain is now facing a row with the EU over access to the Galileo satellite navigation programme, an alternative to the US GPS system.

The Royal Air Force would like to be part of Galileo, the Chief Of the Air Staff has said.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Forces News, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier said even after Brexit defence and security will be "a shared a common agenda":

"We would like to be part of the Galileo programme.

"The UK is a leading space nation in the world, we have got some exceptional capabilities, which we have been deploying into that programme to date. 

"However, if things turn out differently, then I believe we have the strength and the capability, as the United Kingdom, to continue to develop the capabilities we need in space by ourselves and counsel with other allies."

The Galileo project is the European version of the US's GPS system - promising real-time positioning down to a metre or less - which first proved a success to military units fighting in the featureless desert in the first Gulf War in 1991.

Asked whether he was concerned about working with European countries after the UK leaves the European Union, Sir Hillier said:

"Clearly, there are a whole range of issues associated with Brexit, but the reality is that defence and security is something which is a shared and common agenda, where we work together we are at our strongest.

"I look forward to doing whatever work is necessary to ensure we maintain the strength of those relationships post Brexit."

The Chief of the Air Staff was holding a presentation with the head of the French Air Force to mark RAF 100 and celebrate a century of Anglo-French cooperation.

The Head of the RAF also said that Brexit has not impacted the relationship with France:

"Our military relationships are both multilateral, principally through NATO, and also bilateral, and we have an exceptionally strong bilateral relationship with France, just as we have also with Germany and other European nations.

"We need each other for security reasons.

"We might be leaving the European Union, a political institution, but geography and against the threat that we face, we remain firmly in Europe, and I know that my allies wish to continue working with us as closely as we have in the past."

On Thursday, Downing Street dismissed reports the Brexit transition period could be extended to 2023.

The military relationship between Britain and France is as important in 2018 as it was at the end of the first world war, according to British Defence Attache in Paris, who also attended the RAF 100.

Brigadier Rob Thomson says both governments are determined not to let Brexit affect the way the two countries work together on defence and security:

During the events to celebrate RAF100 and the relationship with the French Air Force a number of British exchange and liaison officers, who are working in France highlighted the importance of the relationship.