US, Germany Sign Defense Industry Declaration

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius signed a declaration of intent to deepen cooperation between the two countries’ defense industries amid depleted stockpiles and heightened security concerns in Europe. The framework covers joint development, production and maintenance of weapons, stronger supply chains, technology-transfer rules, and research cooperation, with the goal of expanding output and improving NATO’s readiness. Hegseth linked the agreement to his “NATO 3.0” vision, which calls for increased defense production and a greater European role in conventional defense. Pistorius said Germany and the United States share the same assessment of Europe’s security challenges and that cooperation should create a more balanced partnership rather than make Germany overly dependent on Washington. Details of the arrangement, including a potential German purchase of Tomahawk cruise missiles, remain under discussion.