MoU between UK and France on urgent operational requests

The Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with his French counterpart, Laurent Collet-Billon, which enables the potential for closer co-operation on the procurement of urgent operational equipment. It follows the signature of the Statement of Intent between the Minister of Defence of the French Republic and the Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, concerning Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs), on 6 July 2009. The MoU builds on the existing close relationship between our Armed Forces and will provide potential opportunities for securing greater cost-effectiveness in the future procurement of UORs. Quentin Davies said: “In order to ensure success in Afghanistan, it is important for us to co-operate closely with our international allies, including France. “We often have the same urgent requirements for equipment, so it makes good sense to examine ways in which we could co-operate on procurement to mutual economic advantage.” Nothing done under this MoU will adversely impact on the need for each nation to satisfy its own national requirements, which will always be the top priority. The MoU does not seek to deliver interoperable solutions; the aim is to share best practice and seek rapid solutions to common procurement requirements. The MoU also complements national processes by providing a framework for the sharing of each other’s UOR procurement activities, subject to national laws and the rights of third parties.