Will this get through Congress? Or be defeated by those suspicious of sharing technology?
Britain and the U.S. sign deal to improve sharing of defense technology
LONDON: Britain and the United States signed an agreement Thursday to cut red tape on arms deals and improve the compatibility of military equipment, Prime Minister Tony Blair and defense officials said.
Blair and U.S. President George W. Bush authorized a Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty to allow their armed forces to share technology, information and expertise more easily, a Downing Street statement said......
Defense officials said Britain has faced delays of up to three months when buying U.S. produced military equipment, because of the need for export licenses to be authorized. That requirement will be dropped under the deal, a defense ministry spokeswoman said, speeding the passage of equipment — such as U.S. made UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) — to British troops in Afghanistan...........
The deal will allow military leaders to scrap "current barriers to communication and collaboration between, and among, our armed forces," the Downing Street statement said.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters Thursday that the deal "allows the sharing of defense contractor personnel and defense technology between the U.S. and U.K. It foregoes the licensing process that has been in place."
McCormack said the Bush administration was working with U.S. lawmakers to get the treaty ratified.